Floreana Island
The underwater realm of the Galapagos Islands is truly one of the great wonders of the world, and is beginning to be officially recognized as such. The new “Special Law for the Galapagos Islands”, which passed in 1998, increased the Galapagos Marine Reserve from 15 nautical miles around a baseline to 40 nm, turning it into the second largest reserve in the world. It will, in all likelihood, also shortly be declared a UNESCO World Heritage Sight, a step further towards conserving this mysterious other-world for all to explore.
The water temperatures here fluctuate between 65 and 80 degrees F, depending on the area and time of year, making it too cool for large coral reef formations. The volcanic origins of this remote archipelago, however, have bestowed the underwater topography with contorted and fascinating rocky reefs and layered walls covered in soft corals and other colorful invertebrates. These features make wonderful dwelling and feeding grounds for a large variety of reef fish, many of which are unique to this area: in fact we have one of the largest concentrations of endemic fish species in the world. Other inhabitants of this magical world include the playful and curious Galapagos sea lions, the graceful green turtles, the majestic sharks and rays, grazing marine iguanas and the odd, out-of-place Galapagos penguins.
During our trip round the islands we explore both land and sea, immersing into the Pacific waters on a voyage of discovery almost every day. One can do this by simply donning a mask, snorkel and fins, no previous experience needed, or by adventuring into the depths of these waters with SCUBA gear. Those averse to getting wet can even peer in through the window of a glass-bottom boat. The islet of Champion is inimitable in offering the best of all these options in just one small area. It is also the first place during our expedition where a local dive operation called Galapagos Sub-Aqua can join us and take those interested for a couple of dives, an option a couple of us took advantage of today.
The underwater realm of the Galapagos Islands is truly one of the great wonders of the world, and is beginning to be officially recognized as such. The new “Special Law for the Galapagos Islands”, which passed in 1998, increased the Galapagos Marine Reserve from 15 nautical miles around a baseline to 40 nm, turning it into the second largest reserve in the world. It will, in all likelihood, also shortly be declared a UNESCO World Heritage Sight, a step further towards conserving this mysterious other-world for all to explore.
The water temperatures here fluctuate between 65 and 80 degrees F, depending on the area and time of year, making it too cool for large coral reef formations. The volcanic origins of this remote archipelago, however, have bestowed the underwater topography with contorted and fascinating rocky reefs and layered walls covered in soft corals and other colorful invertebrates. These features make wonderful dwelling and feeding grounds for a large variety of reef fish, many of which are unique to this area: in fact we have one of the largest concentrations of endemic fish species in the world. Other inhabitants of this magical world include the playful and curious Galapagos sea lions, the graceful green turtles, the majestic sharks and rays, grazing marine iguanas and the odd, out-of-place Galapagos penguins.
During our trip round the islands we explore both land and sea, immersing into the Pacific waters on a voyage of discovery almost every day. One can do this by simply donning a mask, snorkel and fins, no previous experience needed, or by adventuring into the depths of these waters with SCUBA gear. Those averse to getting wet can even peer in through the window of a glass-bottom boat. The islet of Champion is inimitable in offering the best of all these options in just one small area. It is also the first place during our expedition where a local dive operation called Galapagos Sub-Aqua can join us and take those interested for a couple of dives, an option a couple of us took advantage of today.
