The most exciting adventure in life will be a trip to Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands. These pieces of land, lost in the Pacific Ocean, are truly unique. First of all, the Galapagos Islands, tours to which are popular among divers, attract rich flora and fauna. Many inhabitants of these places are considered rare and endangered, for example, the famous large turtles. Another attraction of the archipelago is the Galapagos funnel. Between the richly populated reefs, warm tropical currents collide with cold Antarctic currents, forming dangerous whirlpools.
Galapagos Islands, the map will not lie, located on the edge of the Earth. Thousands of kilometers from the Ecuadorian shores as a result of volcanic eruptions, they were born millions of years ago. The archipelago consists of thirteen large, six small and forty-two very miniature islands. Many of them have craters on their territory, and each piece of land is the peak of a giant underwater volcano. Galapagos is a kingdom of volcanoes and lava flows, complemented by beaches with the softest sand of different colors. The coast is covered with sandstone of black, olive and white colors - an amazing picture!
The islands, like splashes of frozen lava in the ocean, attract tourists. The Galapagos funnel, the diversity of flora and fauna became the reason that in 1959 the archipelago was declared a national park. Darwin considered these places a paradise of evolution, and Jacques Cousteau - the last remaining shrine of wildlife. In complete harmony with the outside world, like a thousand years ago, giant tortoises and iguanas live here. Animals here are not afraid of man, and the islands themselves are a triumph of wildlife over the ubiquitous civilization.
Islands to the world were discovered by a Panamanian bishop of Spanish origin, Thomas de Berlanga. Quite by accident, on March 10, 1535, during calm, the ship carried away the current from the coast of South America. The bishop wrote that they found previously unknown lands inhabited by strange animals and giant turtles. By the way, it was they who gave the name to the archipelago, because "Gala Pago" from Spanish is translated as "big turtle." The sailors knew them as Encantadas, that is, the enchanted islands: the Galapagos funnel and strong currents were quite dangerous for the ships. Although these lands were discovered much earlier by the Incas, they said that in the west there is an Island of Fire, the path to which is quite long and dangerous.
The Galapagos funnel is both a mystery of nature and an amazingly beautiful sight. The danger that lies in wait for those who want to admire this phenomenon tickles the nerves of extremals. Filmed by filmmakers Joakim Ronning and Espen Sandberg, the film Kon-Tiki describes the legendary tour of Tour Heyerdahl and a nine-meter-high whirlpool. Of course, the scriptwriters embellished and exaggerated a little, but the meeting of currents with different temperatures and thermoclines can be quite unpredictable. Therefore, when planning to visit these places, it is better to turn to professionals. They will provide you with a safe voyage.