Darwin Island is the remains of an extinct volano. It was previously named Lord Culpeper's Island, or Culpepper Island in honor of Thomas Colepeper, 2nd Baron Colepeper. The name was bestowed upon the island by the English buccaneer and pirate, William Ambrosia Cowley in 1684 and remained in use for centuries thereafter.
The group formed by Darwin and nearby Wolf Island is now known as Darwin and Wolf, Darwin–Wolf, or Darwin-Wolf. It was previously known in English as Culpepper and Wenman and in Spanish as Los Hermanos ("The Brothers")[3] or los Dos Hermanos ("the Two Brothers").
It was first visited by Charles Darwin on the HMS Beagle in 1835.
The Incredible Marine Life of Darwin Island
As remote as it may be, from the main group of the Galapagos Islands, Darwin Island is home to some of the largest schools of Scalloped Hammerhead Sharks in the world. To this day, it baffles scientists as to why these beautiful beasts congrugate here in such large numbers, often up to 700 at a time! There is no other known place on earth where hammerheads exhibit such schoool behaviour, making this another stand out feature about the Galapagos Islands.
Another main attraction of this tiny island is the impressive stone formation, known as Darwin Arch. Many endemic sea birds cohabit with this rocky outcrop too. It is also the only place on the archipelago where the Sooty Tern (Sterna fuscata) breeds.
Tourists rarely visit here on cruises, except for master divers seeking to experience the rich marine wildlife.
