Nestling more than 1000km (600 miles) from the South American coast among the azure waters of the Pacific Ocean, the Galapagos are famous as the source of Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution, following his historic visit to the archipelago aboard HMS Beagle in 1835. Today, these 19 islands and the surrounding marine reserve have been called a unique ‘living museum and showcase of evolution’. Located at the confluence of three ocean currents, the Galápagos are a melting pot of diverse marine species. Local volcanic activity is testament to the process that originally formed these islands. Combined with the extreme isolation of the archipelago, this has led to the development of some rare and unusual animals, such as the land iguana, blue-footed booby and the many types of finch, which are featured – along with the penguins, sea lions and Galapagos hawks – in vivid detail in this book. Arranged in chapters that include geology, sea life, fauna and flora, Galapagos Islands is an evocative exploration of this remarkable ecosystem and the life that has developed there – from the volcanic peaks of Cerro Azul and Wolf Volcano to the famous giant tortoise, flightless cormorant and waved albatross.

Tom Jackson is a leading natural history writer based in the United Kingdom. As an author and contributor he has worked on more than 60 books. A zoology graduate from the University of Bristol, he has also worked as a zookeeper and in safari parks in Zimbabwe.