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With a running time of 150 minutes this BBC/National Geographic documentary on the legendary Galapagos Islands is a milestone cinemagraphically dazzling exploration of the setting that gave Darwin his most complete evidence for the theory of evolution.

"Located 600 miles off the coast of Ecuador is an amazing and unique place. Made up of 13 large volcanic islands (and dozens of smaller ones), the Galapagos Islands are famed for their amazing variety of wildlife and inspiring a world-changing tome by Charles Darwin. Once considered "hellish" by seamen who encountered their lively volcanic activity, the islands are now recognized as a wonder of the natural world.

Galapagos is a collection of three BBC shows broadcast on the National Geographic Channel in 2006. Narrated by actress Tilda Swinton (Constantine), the series provides a view of the famous islands that manages to be both wide-ranging and intimate at the same time."

-- An Online Review

Needless to say, like everywhere on earth of interest, there is the threat that the Galapagos Islands might eventually be ruined by tourism, which the series addreses. In fact, the last part of the DVD, "Forces of Change," confronts this issue head-on.

"The Galapagos archipelago is made up of thirteen main islands and more than sixty other islets, rocks and reefs, scattered over four hundred kilometres of open ocean. Sitting at a confluence of four major ocean currents, the islands are actually the summits of vast undersea volcanoes, and are steadily on the march.

How has such an odd assortment of life managed to find a footing in this unruly world? Micro-climates and altitude have combined to form discrete environmental zones: perfect habitats for the islands' diverse fauna - marine iguanas, petrels, blue-footed boobies and giant tortoises being but a famous few.

Galapagos is a rare insight into an incredible landscape, a natural laboratory and an exquisite evolutionary habitat that Darwin described as a 'world within itself'. Both fragile and furious, the Galapagos is unlike any other place on earth."

-- From the BBC

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