An ad-free, chronological podcast following English naturalist Chares Darwin during his five-year voyage aboard HMS Beagle
About Your Tour Guide
- Eric J. Simon, Ph.D., is a Senior Professor in the Department of Biology at New England College in Henniker, New Hampshire, USA. He specializes in teaching biology to non-scientists. Dr. Simon also teaches international travel courses to such destinations as the Galapagos, Belize, Tanzania, Cuba, the Amazon river, Patagonia, and Machu Picchu.
- Dr. Simon received a B.A. in biology and computer science and an M.A. in biology from Wesleyan University, and a Ph.D. in biochemistry from Harvard University.
- Dr. Simon is the author of a widely used series of college biology textbooks with over 2 million books in print that help teach biology to students in over 40 countries.
Testimonials
Episode guide
Episode #1: Darwin Departs
Day #1 (2/27/1831):
Step aboard the Beagle as a restless young Charles Darwin sails into the unknown, chasing adventure on the high seas (14:43).
Fun fact: John Milton
On this date (12/27/1831): The Christmas Rebellion ignited in Jamaica as one of the largest slave uprisings in the Caribbean.
Other voyages of discovery: Captain John Biscoe is pressing into Antarctic waters that will chart new lands like Adelaide Island and the Biscoe Islands.
Episode #2: Darwin Denied
Day #2 (12/28/1831) - Day #20 (1/15/1832)
On the doorstep of following in his hero's footsteps, Darwin receives some devastating news (15:59).
Fun fact: Canary Islands
On this date (1/6/1832): In Boston, The New England Anti-Slavery Society is founded.
Other voyages of discovery: Captain Jules Dumont d’Urville is leading the French ship Astrolabe through the South Pacific, mapping coasts and collecting specimens on a voyage that would carry him to New Zealand in early 1832.
Episode #3: First Encounter
Day #21 (1/16/1832) - Day #44 (2/8/1832)
Darwin finally steps onto tropical soil in the Cape Verde Islands, where volcanic cliffs, coral reefs, and even baobab trees spark his transformation from seasick passenger into true scientific explorer (18:14).
Fun fact: Baobabs
On this date (1/25/1832): In Washington, the U.S. House censures President Andrew Jackson over refusal to provide documents in the Bank War.
Other voyages of discovery: Russian explorer Ferdinand von Wrangel is completing his Arctic surveys in the Bering Strait region, work that secured Russia’s detailed knowledge of the Siberian coast and helped open the way for later polar navigation.
Episode #4: Crossing the Line
Day #45 (2/9/1832) - Day #63 (2/27/1832)
Sailing west across the Atlantic, Darwin battles seasickness, gets hazed in a raucous equator-crossing ritual, and stands on the brink of a dazzling new continent (16:49).
Fun fact: boobies
On this date (2/19/1832): Reports emerge of cholera approaching from Canada, foreshadowing a major U.S. outbreak.
Other voyages of discovery: Captain Robert FitzRoy’s former ship, HMS Chanticleer, is completing a hydrographic survey of the South Atlantic, charting coasts and islands to improve navigation for future expeditions.
Episode #5: Paradise Found
Day #64 (2/28/1832) - Day #99 (4/3/1832)
In this episode, we’ll follow Charles from Day #64, when he takes his first steps on the South American mainland, to day #99, when he gazes up at the majestic peak of Sugarloaf Mountain (20:36).
Fun fact: Mother Carey's chickens
On this date (3/26/1832): The first cholera cases are recorded in France, marking the start of an epidemic that spreads across Europe.
Other voyages of discovery: French explorer Jules Dumont d’Urville (dur-VEE-yuh) is steering his ship Astrolabe across the Pacific on a three-year scientific voyage, charting islands, collecting specimens, and extending France’s reach into Oceania.
Episode #6: Her Name is Rio
Day #100 (4/4/1832) - Day #121 (4/25/1832)
In this episode, we’ll follow Darwin from Day #100, when he wanders into the rainforest around Rio de Janeiro, to day #121, when he completes a roundtrip trek into the wilds of Brazil. (19:43)
Fun fact: Beagle name
On this date (5/7/1832): Britain, France, and Russia sign the Treaty of London, compelling the Ottoman Empire to recognize the independent kingdom of Greece.
Other voyages of discovery: Captain John Biscoe and the brig Tula complete the third circumnavigation of Antarctica, sighting and naming Enderby Land and Graham Land, charting new shores on the frozen continent
Episode #7: Rhapsody in Rio
Day #121 (4/25/1832) - Day #192 (7/5/1832)
In this episode, Darwin spends over 2 months in and around Rio de Janeiro, exploring, observing, and establishing himself as a naturalist (17:57)
Fun fact: Fireflies
On this date (5/7/1832): Britain, France, and Russia sign the Treaty of London, forcing the Ottoman Empire to recognize Greece as an independent kingdom.
Other voyages of discovery: Richard Lander and Macgregor Laird launch a daring Niger River expedition, sending steamers into West Africa to chart its course and open new paths of discovery.
Episode #8: Clear for Action!
Day #193 (7/6/1832) - Day #230 (8/12/1832)
In this episode, we’ll follow Darwin's adventures in South America where he makes striking observations in natural history. Yet the defining moments of this period are not biological, but political. (16:59)
Fun fact: Bioluminescent dinoflagellates
On this date (7/10/1832): U.S. President Andrew Jackson vetoes the bill to recharter the Second Bank of the United States, setting off years of political conflict
Other voyages of discovery: German naturalist Prince Maximilian of Wied (VEET) launches a far-reaching two-year expedition into the American West to chart landscapes, Indigenous communities, and the upper Missouri River.
Episode #9: Among the Gauchos
Day #231 (8/13/1832) - Day #273 (9/24/1832)
In this episode, we’ll follow Darwin's month-long adventures in Argentina as he rides with local horsemen across the pampas (16:59)
Fun fact: Rheas
On this date (8/1/1832): In Great Britain, The Anatomy Act ends the practice of body snatching from graves by allowing the use of unclaimed bodies from prisons, workhouses, and hospitals.
Other voyages of discovery: In northern Canada, Captain John Ross and his ship Victory are locked fast in Arctic ice, where they would remain for years before eventually being rescued.
COMING SOON: Episode #10: Title TBD
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Eric's Galapagos Photo Gallery
Some photos that I took during my two trips to the Galapagos
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