We sure had another phenomenal day today, and enjoyed it very much. The morning started out magical, with our early morning outing. After breakfast, our activities took place in the water. Glass bottom boat outings and snorkeling and even scuba diving was offered! The more adventurous went on a scuba dive session while the rest of us had more of a relaxed time snorkeling and glass bottom boating. The playful sea lions and outstanding fish caught our attention.
The most remarkable aspect about the Galapagos water is that it does not hold an immense number of fishes, but this is compensated by the wide variety. We saw fish of all kinds as the morning went by.
Fish were the first vertebrate animals on earth and all other vertebrate animals have evolved from them. They are the only completely aquatic vertebrate animals and they must spend all their lives in the water. Except for a very few unusual species, fish cannot breathe air. They have to breathe oxygen from the water. Dissolved oxygen is taken into their bodies through the gills, which are thin-walled vascularized structures supported by bones called gill arches. Blood vessels within the gills absorb the oxygen and carry it along to the rest of the body. Carbon dioxide produced via respiration passes through the gills and is washed away. La voila! Isn't it outstanding?
Well, as we know, these specialized water creatures are all over the earth. In the Galapagos though, we find an assemblage of over 300 species. Around 50 % of the species present have been swept in by the Panama flow, and 7 % are from the Chile-Peru area. An additional 14 % are from the Indo-pacific and the rest are pelagic species such as sharks and jacks.
I must say that there is a whole different world under the surface of the water, which is full of magic. Come and see it for yourself, you'll be pleasantly surprised of the richness of the marine life we find in this indescribably amazing place.
