The Journey

In 2008 I set out to explore the geologic legacy of Charles Darwin and Robert FitzRoy on the HMS Beagle in southern South America. Most people don’t know that when Charles Darwin set out on the epic surveying voyage of the HMS Beagle, he viewed himself not as a biologist aspiring to discover the mechanisms of evolution, but as the expedition’s geologist.

It has been a great ride. I’ve met amazing people, geologists and otherwise, in Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Wales and Scotland. I’ve rolled in small, open boats, bounced in trucks, swayed in saddles, waded in swamps, and trekked over Andean passes, all the time pondering geologic puzzles that intrigued Darwin and FitzRoy, and that continue to fascinate geologists today.

I’ve learned about how geology grew from a toddler in the 1830s to the mature science it is today. I’ve learned about the fascinating figures of Charles Darwin and the Beagle’s captain, Robert FitzRoy, warts and all. And I’ve pondered what it all means, this science of geology, for the species that puzzled Darwin the most, Homo sapiens.

Through this website I aim to give you a preview of Darwin’s First Theory, to introduce you to some of the people I’ve met, and to share some of my photos taken along the way. For some more photos and stories, check out the Adventures!

Thanks for visiting!

Rob Wesson