Galapagos Map

As a long time painter of maps, my Galapagos Map was inevitable! Because when I was a tiny girl 50 years ago, my dad read me a book about evolution which had pictures of all the wonderful creatures of Galapagos. It’s the place which inspired Charles Darwin to understand natural selection – the mechanism of evolution. The images in this book coupled with my father’s enthusiasm for the natural world stayed with me and grew! It had been a lifelong ambition to visit the ‘Enchanted Isles’, Finally, in December 2016 we visited the archipelago. It’s a big trip! It lies 600 miles west of Ecuador in the Pacific Ocean.

The Galapagos Islands are astonishing. They are volcanic in origin, and their geographical position between cold ocean currents, and yet slap bang on the equator is unique. They were isolated from humans until 1535, and over millions of years many endemic species evolved. It is now a UNESCO World Heritage site and tourism is tightly controlled to minimise human impact on delicate ecosystems. Only certain places can be visited between certain hours by a strict quota of people per day, and you can only go with a qualified guide. Straying from paths is forbidden. You have to respect the creatures who live there.

A painting of the creatures of the archipelago

My painting shows some of the birds, reptiles and fish that can be found there. The source material I used for many of the creatures depicted in my painting are from my husband Moth’s wonderful photography. So these are actual creatures we saw! Our two favourite islands by far were Genovesa and Espanola. Alas, we didn’t have time to visit Fernandina and Isabela. Perhaps that’s for another time?!

Charles Darwin spent five weeks exploring Galapagos in 1835 on HMS Beagle. We explored the islands on M/S Cachalote, an exquisitely beautiful small boat with wooden decks, tall elegant masts and proper brass fittings. Cachalote’s crew looked after us like family and took pains to ensure we learned all we could about this wondrous place.

For those of us lucky enough to have visited these islands, this painting will remind you of your adventures. For people fascinated by the natural world and the story of how Galapagos’ isolation inspired Darwin, perhaps it will encourage you to save your pennies and make that trip of a lifetime?