The Galapagos Islands were named as one of the 7 underwater wonders of
the world by CEDAM International. As a diver in the Galapagos you are
likely to swim eye to eye with sea lions, sea turtles, giant mantas and
hammerhead sharks in addition to tropical reef fish. On land you will
find yourself side-stepping over impish land iguanas, nesting
blue-footed boobies and scuttling sally lightfoot crabs.
To conserve this wealth of sea-life, the Galapagos
Marine Resources Reserve (GMRR), with waters totaling 27,000 square
miles, was signed into law in 1986. The law protects marine life 15
nautical miles offshore. In 1998, the Special Law for Galapagos extended
the off-limits restrictions for industrial fishing to 40 miles offshore.
Galapagos is not the place to learn to dive. Diving
is often straight-forward but strong currents, low visibility, large
animals and cold water. Better qualified divers are more likely to enjoy
the underwater experience (C.M.A.S. 2 star minimum qualification
recommended).
|
|
 |
The
islands feature about 30 dive sites. Most experienced divers will agree,
Wolf and
Darwin are the best diving sites in the world! Sightings of the
whale shark is common here. There are no land visitor sites here, just
serious diving. At the Northern Arch at Darwin, Hammerhead sharks are
not uncommon, nor are bottlenose dolphins. The reef contains many warm
water varieties of fish found nowhere else in the Islands and is the
most consistent place to see Hammerheads
|
