The remote islands of the Galápagos archipelago are a province within the country of Ecuador as well as earning a designation as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Renowned as one of the world’s eco-friendliest destinations, nature has an uncanny way of unfolding its own timeless tales – and a day spent in the Galápagos brings you a firsthand look along with centuries of human history waiting to be discovered. In the 17th and 18th centuries – before Charles Darwin’s visit that inspired his theory of evolution – sailors, pirates and whaling ships of many different European nationalities deemed the islands either “hideouts” or “sanctuaries”; today’s small population of permanent residents is mainly from the Ecuadorian mainland. Nature does, however, follow its own course and timeline – as we learned this past week when Darwin’s Arch, the famed natural bridge rock formation in the northern end of the archipelago, collapsed as a “consequence of natural erosion” into the sea; and a reminder that this amazing corner of the world could be a little different with every visit. We’ve put together a selection of videos focusing on the world of nature – and the stories waiting to be told.
