Galapagos Marine Sanctuary

The Galapagos Marine Sanctuary is a safe haven for the many sharks species and other marine animals in Galapagos. Ecuador joined the list of nations that have expanded protection of their precious marine resources.

The biggest part of the new Galapagos marine sanctuary, some 15,000 square miles, includes the portion of the Galápagos Marine Reserve around the northern Galápagos islands of Darwin and Wolf. There are also 21 smaller conservation areas scattered through the archipelago that makes up the rest of the 18,000 square miles Marine Sanctuary.

A marine reserve is an area often within a designated marine protected are with strict Category I protection according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) A marine ‘sanctuary’, on the other hand, is a wide area assigned as a refuge from hunting.

Category I protected areas are strictly set aside to protect biodiversity and also possibly geological/geomorphological features, where human visitation, use, and impacts are strictly controlled and limited to ensure the protection of the conservation values. Such protected areas can serve as essential reference areas for scientific research and monitoring (read more about Protected Area Categories).

Explore the underwater world of the Galapagos marine sanctuary

The Galápagos Islands have long been a bucket list destination for scuba divers, especially for those who are looking for a liveaboard dive trip of a lifetime to the northern islands Darwin and Wolf.

Darwin and Wolf are remote islands at the far north of the archipelago over 450 miles from the central islands and are only accessible via a liveaboard dive trip or a science expedition.

Pelayo Salinas de León, a marine scientist at the Charles Darwin Foundation, has been quoted as saying that Darwin and Wolf form “probably one of the most spectacular and significant marine ecosystems that we have on the planet.”

No resorts, no airports just 7 to 10-day long liveaboard trips. Stopping at dive sites along the way to Wolf and Darwin you will be rewarded with some of the most diverse diving conditions in the world. Four converging ocean currents bring conditions that only exist in this area.

This article is published by RUSHKULT: we are an online travel company for adventure sports. Visit the RUSHKULT platform to book your next Scuba Dive training, guided trip and accommodation.

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