Waterproof, Tear-Resistant Travel Map. Resting on the Nazca tectonic plate in the eastern Pacific Ocean approximately 600 miles west of Ecuador, the actively volcanic Galapagos Islands were discovered in 1535 by the bishop of Panama, Tom¤s de Berlanga, when his ship drifted off course. In 1835, naturalist Charles Darwin, aboard the H.M.S Beagle, arrived in the Galapagos and spent 5 weeks collecting geological and biological specimens from several islands, noting his surprise at the variety of birds, tortoises, iguanas and other creatures - all without fear of humans. Darwin's short visit inspired, in part, his 1859 theory of evolution by natural selection and led to the declaration of Galapagos as a national park 100 years later in 1959. Galapagos was declared the first UNESCO World Heritage site in 1978. Now, National Geographic has created a map of this island chain that is so remote that many of the species who live here can be found nowhere else on earth. The front of the map includes an overview of the entire island chain to help with context since the islands are spread over a large swath of ocean. On the back of the map, each major island has a description including the endemic species - animals or plants living only on the Galapagos - found there, facts about the human history of each island, and other facts that are important to travellers. Every Adventure Map is printed on durable synthetic paper, making them waterproof, tear-resistant and tough - capable of withstanding the rigours of international travel.