Floreana Island
Snorkeling is always one of the activities most enjoyed by our visitors. Today during our morning outing around Champion Islet we all experienced a close encounter with the extraordinary marine life of the Galápagos Islands. The exuberance and richness of the biological marine diversity of the waters around the archipelago drove the Ecuadorian government to declare this underwater paradise a marine reserve in 1986. As recently as 1998 a new special law for Galápagos was passed by the Government of Ecuador. In this law, one of the most important points was the extension of the marine reserve from 15 to 40 nautical miles around the whole archipelago, with only tourism and local artisanal fishing permitted within this area. The enhancement of the marine reserve’s area produced a huge positive impact in the hopes and efforts of the local conservation institutions and organizations. As a result, the Galápagos Marine Reserve is the second largest in the whole world, after the Great Barrier Reef National Park in Australia, in terms of the size of the marine area protected. Approximately 130,000 square km are under legal protection.
It is not only very exciting but also quite moving to observe the joy and admiration that our visitors express after experiencing the fascinating underwater Galápagos. Praising commentaries about the beauty of the fish and invertebrates life are only comparable with the ones that the playful Galápagos sea lions evoke. These are truly memorable moments that our visitors will keep in their minds and hearts forever.
Snorkeling is always one of the activities most enjoyed by our visitors. Today during our morning outing around Champion Islet we all experienced a close encounter with the extraordinary marine life of the Galápagos Islands. The exuberance and richness of the biological marine diversity of the waters around the archipelago drove the Ecuadorian government to declare this underwater paradise a marine reserve in 1986. As recently as 1998 a new special law for Galápagos was passed by the Government of Ecuador. In this law, one of the most important points was the extension of the marine reserve from 15 to 40 nautical miles around the whole archipelago, with only tourism and local artisanal fishing permitted within this area. The enhancement of the marine reserve’s area produced a huge positive impact in the hopes and efforts of the local conservation institutions and organizations. As a result, the Galápagos Marine Reserve is the second largest in the whole world, after the Great Barrier Reef National Park in Australia, in terms of the size of the marine area protected. Approximately 130,000 square km are under legal protection.
It is not only very exciting but also quite moving to observe the joy and admiration that our visitors express after experiencing the fascinating underwater Galápagos. Praising commentaries about the beauty of the fish and invertebrates life are only comparable with the ones that the playful Galápagos sea lions evoke. These are truly memorable moments that our visitors will keep in their minds and hearts forever.
