Floreana Island
Today we had a great time on Floreana, which is also known as the mystery island. During the snorkeling activities around Champion Islet we had a wonderful experience swimming with playful and friendly sea lions. We also saw lots of different, beautiful and colorful tropical fish. In today’s picture there are two king angels surrounded by dozens of creole fish. The Galapagos Islands have an interesting mix of tropical and temperate fish species.
Water temperatures here in Galapagos are known to fluctuate from a cool 15 degrees C, to a warm 29 degrees C, depending on time of year and site, thus providing a range of temperature regimes. Fish are divided into two main groups: the cartilaginous fishes, which include the sharks and rays and the bony fishes, which include all of what we normally think of as fishes.
Some 306 species of fish are found in the Galapagos waters, of which nearly a quarter are endemic forms. There are only a few small, and not very diverse, coral reefs, but the vesicular and creviced nature of the lava rock provides abundant shelter near the shores, and the open water is nutrient rich and swarming with life from the upwelling currents. Much of the Galapagos marine world is still unexplored and new species continue to be discovered.
Today we had a great time on Floreana, which is also known as the mystery island. During the snorkeling activities around Champion Islet we had a wonderful experience swimming with playful and friendly sea lions. We also saw lots of different, beautiful and colorful tropical fish. In today’s picture there are two king angels surrounded by dozens of creole fish. The Galapagos Islands have an interesting mix of tropical and temperate fish species.
Water temperatures here in Galapagos are known to fluctuate from a cool 15 degrees C, to a warm 29 degrees C, depending on time of year and site, thus providing a range of temperature regimes. Fish are divided into two main groups: the cartilaginous fishes, which include the sharks and rays and the bony fishes, which include all of what we normally think of as fishes.
Some 306 species of fish are found in the Galapagos waters, of which nearly a quarter are endemic forms. There are only a few small, and not very diverse, coral reefs, but the vesicular and creviced nature of the lava rock provides abundant shelter near the shores, and the open water is nutrient rich and swarming with life from the upwelling currents. Much of the Galapagos marine world is still unexplored and new species continue to be discovered.
