who discovered the galapagos islands

The Galapagos Islands were officially discovered on March 10, 1535, by Fray Tomás de Berlanga, who was the Bishop of Panama at the time. He came upon the islands accidentally during a voyage to Peru when his ship was blown off course by strong currents. Although the islands were initially described as inhospitable and barren, Berlanga's discovery marked the first known European encounter with the archipelago.