The volcano that forms the island is extinct, with the last eruption believed to have been approximately 400,000 years ago,[6] making it younger than Wolf.

The lava flows around Darwin are homogenous, apparently because of its young age, and they have a similar chemical composition to those of the Galápagos spreading center.

[7] Darwin is believed to have had at least two eruptive periods in its history, depositing two tuff layers separated by plagioclase ultraphyric basalt.

With no dry landing sites, Darwin Island's main attractions are found in the Pacific Ocean, which is teeming with a large variety of marine life.

The only visitors are those that come to scuba dive, even here due to the distance from the main island only a limited number of liveaboard ships cruise here.

[9] The island also supports a large bird population, including frigatebirds, red-footed boobies and the vampire finch.