Galapagos journal by Clive beattie

15th Jan 2007

Sharks of the Galapagos by Clive Beattie.




It had been a lifelong dream and in October 2006 I was fortunate enough to realise it. Two and a half weeks in and around the Galapagos islands, experiencing the unique environments and wildlife on land and in the oceans. Organised through Olly Suzi expeditions, my tailor made experience encompassed all that was best about the islands. In particular, it allowed me to work with experts, to look through the eyes of dedicated scientists and environmentalists, not just as a tourist.

I dived extensively during the entire trip, the first 10 days at dive sites in and around the main islands. My personal guide was Rich Woollocombe, a BBC underwater cameraman with 15 years experience of living and working in the Galapagos. Although we enjoyed some incredible dives, I was surprised at the relative scarcity of sharks. Whilst we sighted white tips and Galapagos sharks, we saw relatively few and no large adults. Sadly the practice of shark finning as a means of livelihood for the locals has clearly taken its toll on the shark populations within the archipelago. We had 2 clear illustrations of the prevalence of this unfortunate practice, juvenile sharks with hooks embedded in their mouths trailing lines and looking very unhealthy. To see 2 such sightings within a week brought home how common the practice of shark finning must be.

It was a great privilege therefore to spend my last week diving in the far north at Wolf and Darwin alongside Rich and shark research scientists Alex and James. Wolf and Darwin are world famous dive locations, and justly so. Schools of hammerheads and Galapagos sharks abound (although still in ever reducing numbers), with a multitude of other sea life in huge abundance. The highlight however was the whale sharks. We enjoyed a number of interactions with these magnificent animals, a truly awesome experience. The memory of my first encounter with a whale shark, a 10m adult, on our first dive at Darwin will remain with me always. As we entered the water we dived quickly down to shelter from the strong currents and found ourselves alongside the shark, hanging in the current just feet away from us.

Whilst enjoying the diving, Alex and James were also continuing their studies of shark movements. Using a number of monitoring methods including tagging and accoustic listening stations the movements of animals within the archipelago and more widely are monitored, and the greater understanding of the movement and behaviour of sharks allows work to help protect them in the future. On our trip we were retrieving accoustic listening devices previously stationed at around 30 to 35 metres, downloading data for analysis and resiting the devices. Similar work is being undertaken at Malpelo and the Cocos Islands.

My time in the Galapagos encompassed all that was best in nature. The majesty of the pristine environments and the opportunity to enjoy the unique wildlife in its own habitat. But it also highlighted the fragility of nature, the perils brought by human intervention. Having seen the impact of shark finning on shark populations it was a massive honour to be able to discuss the issues with leading scientists and to participate in a small way through assisting in their shark monitoring programme.

For those who wish to give something back to help protect endangered wildlife and habitats for future generations, to sponsor and participate in research whilst diving with sharks in the Galapagos should be high on the list. For this and other adventures, contact ollysuziexpeditions.com and see how they can help you make a difference whilst enjoying the experience of a lifetime.