Ship sets sail from England to retrace Charles Darwin’s voyage nearly 200 years later

A schooner embarked on a voyage from the south coast of England on Tuesday with the mission to educate and inspire a new generation of naturalists. The ship aims to retrace the journey of a young Charles Darwin nearly two centuries ago, which led to his groundbreaking theory of evolution.

The Dutch ship Oosterschelde received a warm send-off as it departed Plymouth on a two-year expedition. The goal of the voyage is to work with future scientists, who will study the species discovered by Darwin, and develop conservation projects to protect them.

As a floating laboratory, the ship will serve as a platform for scientific research both on the sea and in port. Along the way, it will bring together around 200 young naturalists and conservationists from around the world to participate in a project called Darwin200.

“This endeavor represents hope, the future, and the power to change the world,” said leader Stewart McPherson.

McPherson emphasized that the group of mainly 18- to 25-year-olds is determined to prevent the extinction of animals and plants.

In 1831, Darwin embarked on the HMS Beagle for a five-year expedition that took him around South America, Australia, and New Zealand.

The Oosterschelde will first make a stop at the Canary Islands before crossing the Atlantic to Brazil. It will then sail down South America’s east coast, up the west coast, and finally reach the Galapagos Islands, where Darwin made some of his most significant discoveries.

Supporting the mission, Sarah Darwin, a botanist and Charles Darwin’s great-great-granddaughter, highlighted the importance of using her ancestor’s voyage to raise awareness about environmental change. She emphasized that Charles Darwin’s foremost legacy was recognizing the interconnectedness of humans and nature.

“It is crucial to remind ourselves daily that humans and the rest of the living world share a common origin,” she said. “Darwin made this statement 160 years ago, stating that we are related to all other forms of life. We are not superior to nature; we are part of it.”

The ship will then proceed to Australia and New Zealand before returning to South America. After crossing the Atlantic for the second time, it will visit South Africa before finally returning to England.

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