The Galápagos Islands are near Ecuador in the Pacific Ocean

The Galápagos Islands are near Ecuador in the Pacific Ocean

View from Bartolomé Island, Galápagos Islands

Darwin's Arch at Darwin Island in the Galapagos.

Marine iguana.

Grapsus grapsus, Galapagos.

The Galápagos land iguana basking on a rock

Blue-footed booby.

Waved albatrosses' famous courtship ritual

Sea lions in the Galápagos are somewhat tame, and very curious.

Fresh Water Swimming in Puerto Ayora, Galapagos on the Island of Santa Cruz.

Galápagos tortoise on Santa Cruz Island, Galápagos

Puerto Ayora at night on the Island of Santa Cruz in the Galapagos Islands in Ecuador.

The Galápagos Islands (Archipiélago de Colón in Spanish) are a group of islands in the Pacific Ocean which now belong to Ecuador. The islands are famous for having many native animals, including giant tortoises, that are found nowhere else on Earth. These animals helped Charles Darwin towards his theory of evolution by natural selection after he visited the islands in 1835.