Charles Darwin's Chaotic 35 Days in the Galápagos: Mislabeled Finches, Ridden Tortoises, and Thrown Iguanas

On September 15, 1835, Charles Darwin reached the Galápagos Islands aboard the HMS Beagle, where he spent 35 days. The Beagle had departed from Plymouth in December 1831 for a survey expedition, with Darwin serving as the naturalist. During his time there, he incorrectly identified various bird species, labeling some finches as blackbirds and wrens, and overlooked their island origins, which complicated future studies. Ornithologist John Gould later reclassified these specimens. Darwin disregarded the variations in island species, missing insights from Vice-Governor Nicholas Lawson regarding tortoise shell shapes. The crew consumed tortoises, discarding their shells. Darwin observed differences in mockingbirds, which later influenced his theory in On the Origin of Species, illustrating the chaotic nature of early fieldwork and mistakes.