The smallest country in the rugged Andean highlands, Ecuador has an array of vibrant indigenous cultures, well-preserved colonial architecture, majestic volcanic landscapes and dense rainforest. This program was designed to introduce you to the Galapagos Archipelago of volcanic islands, located 600-mile off the mainland, five million years in the making. The volcanic rocky islands, many with few plants, made it necessary for many species to adapt to survive thus evolving into new endemic species unique to these islands. The fauna here is also unique. Here we find the Galapagos tortoise with an average lifespan of more than 150 years. The indigenous Marine Iguana is also extremely unusual, as the only iguana adapted to life in the water. We also encounter a diverse group of birds, most notable are the Galapagos Penguins, frigate birds, albatross, the famous blue and red-footed boobies, the flightless Cormorant, a peculiar bird which has lost the ability to fly, is also part of this rich fauna. This is way thousands of curious visitors journey to the remote islands to behold the wondrously variegated wildlife that inspired Darwin’s manifest “’The Origin of Species”.