HMS Beagle: The Ship That Carried Darwin, Named After a Hound

HMS Beagle was a small Royal Navy ship best known for carrying the young naturalist Charles Darwin around the world between 1831 and 1836 — the voyage that set him on the path to his theory of evolution. The ship shared its name with the beagle, the English hunting hound, and its name now lives on in places, missions and even a Mars lander.

HMS Beagle at a glance

Why was it called the Beagle?

Royal Navy ships were often named after animals, and the Beagle is generally thought to have been named after the hunting hound — fittingly, perhaps, for a ship that would spend years searching coastlines with persistence. There's no famous story behind the choice; it was simply one of many navy ships with animal names.

The voyages of HMS Beagle

First voyage (1826 to 1830)

The Beagle was refitted as a survey ship and sent to chart the coasts of Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego in South America. When its captain died during the voyage, a young officer, Robert FitzRoy, took command. The Beagle Channel at the tip of South America is named after the ship.

Second voyage with Darwin (1831 to 1836)

FitzRoy wanted a gentleman naturalist on board for company and science, and 22-year-old Charles Darwin got the place. The Beagle sailed from Plymouth in December 1831 to continue surveying South America, then crossed the Pacific and returned via Australia, the Indian Ocean and the Atlantic, arriving back in England in October 1836.

Darwin spent much of the voyage on land, collecting fossils, plants, animals and rocks. His observations — including the wildlife of the Galápagos Islands in 1835 — fed into the ideas he later published in On the Origin of Species (1859). His travel book, now known as The Voyage of the Beagle, became a bestseller.

Third voyage (1837 to 1843)

The Beagle surveyed large parts of the Australian coast. Its crew named a harbor Port Darwin after their former shipmate; the city of Darwin, in Australia's Northern Territory, takes its name from it.

What happened to HMS Beagle?

In 1845 the Beagle became a stationary coastguard watch vessel in the marshes of Essex, England, helping to stop smugglers. It was sold in 1870 and broken up. Researchers believe remains of the ship lie in the mud of the River Roach in Essex.

The Beagle's legacy

• the Beagle Channel in South America
• the city of Darwin, Australia
• Beagle 2, the British Mars lander of 2003, named after the ship; it was located on the Martian surface in 2015
• generations of scientists inspired by Darwin's voyage

From ship to hound

The ship borrowed its name from a dog breed that is still one of the world's most popular. If you're curious about the beagle itself — the merry, nose-led hound bred in England to hunt hares — read our beagle breed guide, or meet some famous beagles in Is Snoopy a beagle?

Questions

What was HMS Beagle?

A Royal Navy brig-sloop, launched in 1820, that became a survey ship and carried Charles Darwin around the world from 1831 to 1836.

How long was Darwin on HMS Beagle?

Almost five years, from December 1831 to October 1836.

Was HMS Beagle named after the dog?

It's generally believed so. The Royal Navy often named ships after animals, and "beagle" was the name of the English hunting hound.

Where is HMS Beagle now?

The ship was sold in 1870 and broken up. Its remains are believed to lie in the mud of the River Roach in Essex, England.