How many years did the HMS Beagle voyage last?

How many years did the HMS Beagle voyage last? The voyage lasted about five years.

The second voyage of HMS Beagle began on 27 December 1831 and ended on 2 October 1836, making it just under five years in precise calendar terms. Quiz questions commonly round this period to five years. The expedition was commanded by Robert FitzRoy, while the 22-year-old Charles Darwin travelled as an unpaid supernumerary naturalist.

The Beagle's main mission was to survey and chart parts of the coast of South America. The ship also crossed the Atlantic, visited the Galápagos Islands, continued across the Pacific and Indian Ocean, and returned through the Atlantic after circumnavigating the globe. Darwin spent roughly three years and three months on land and about 18 months at sea.

Darwin collected fossils, plants and animals and recorded geological observations throughout the journey. His experiences—including discoveries in Patagonia and the Galápagos—helped undermine his belief that species were fixed. His travel journal later became the widely read Voyage of the Beagle. The initial plan suggested a two-year expedition, but surveying delays and FitzRoy's scientific objectives extended it to nearly five years.