Back in May, we told you how the Google Street View team was trekking across the Galapagos Islands and swimming with sea lion to collect footage for their virtual mapping tool.

Well, the vacation photos have been categorized and processed. The Galapagos Islands are now live on Google Street View.

The 10-day filming expedition resulted in outstanding images of famous Galapagos landmarks, endemic species, and inside vital research centers. And while the Galapagos on Street View is an exciting tool for armchair travelers, it will also be used for ongoing research of the environment, conservation, animal migration patterns, and the impact of tourism on the islands, according to Google.

The following

highlights the filming expedition and the importance and process of the project.

The interactive digital photography project was a joint venture of Google, the Charles Darwin Foundation, and the Galapagos National Park. For more information about the Galapagos Island.