Young magnificent frigatebird (Fregata magnificens), North Seymour Island, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador.

---

The Galápagos Islands (official name: Archipiélago de Colón; other Spanish names: Islas de Colón or Islas Galápagos) are an archipelago of volcanic islands distributed around the equator in the Pacific Ocean, 972 km (525 nmi) west of continental Ecuador, of which they are a part. Wildlife is its most notable feature. The Galápagos islands and its surrounding waters form an Ecuadorian province, a national park, and a biological marine reserve. The principal language on the islands is Spanish. The islands have a population of around 23,000. The islands are geologically young and famed for their vast number of endemic species, which were studied by Charles Darwin during the voyage of the Beagle. His observations and collections contributed to the inception of Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection.

---

Size: 4500px × 2994px
Location: Galapagos Islands, Ecuador
Photo credit: © Michael DeFreitas South America / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No

Keywords: america, animals, archipelago, biosphere, birds, chain, charles, courting, darwin, ecuador, evolution, fregata, frigate, frigatebird, frigatebirds, galapagos, heritage, island, islands, juvenile, magnificens, magnificent, national, nest, nesting, north, park, reserve, seymour, site, south, spanish, unesco, volcanic, wildlife, world, youmg, young