The Galapagos funnel. A Dangerous Sight of the Archipelago

The most exciting adventure in life will be a trip through Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands. These patches of land, lost in the Pacific, are truly unique. First and foremost, 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 big turtles. Another attraction of the archipelago is the Galapagos funnel. Between the heavily inhabited reefs, warm tropical currents with cold Antarctic waters collide, forming dangerous whirlpools.

Galapagos Islands, the map will not let you lie, settled on the edge of the Earth. A thousand kilometers from the Ecuadorian coast as a result of volcanic eruptions they were born millions of years ago. The archipelago includes 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 huge underwater volcano. Galapagos represent the kingdom of volcanoes and lava flows, in addition to which are beaches with the softest sand of different shades. The coast is covered with sandstone black, olive and white - an amazing picture!

Islands, like a spray of frozen lava in the ocean, attract tourists. The Galapagos funnel, the diversity of flora and fauna, became the reason for the fact 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, here live giant turtles and iguanas. Animals here are not afraid of man, and the islands themselves are a triumph of wildlife over an omnipresent civilization.

The island was discovered by Panamanian Bishop Thomas de Berlang of Panama. Quite by accident, on March 10, 1535, during calm, the ship carried off the current from the coasts of South America. The bishop wrote that they had found previously unknown lands, inhabited by outlandish beasts and giant turtles. By the way, it was they who gave the name of the archipelago, because "gala-pago" from the Spanish language translates as "a big turtle". Sailors also knew them as Encantadas, that is, enchanted islands: the Galapagos funnel and strong currents were quite dangerous for ships. Although these lands were discovered much earlier by the Incas, they told us that in the west there is a Fire Island, the path to which is quite long and dangerous.

The Galapagos funnel is both a mystery of nature and a surprisingly beautiful sight. The danger that lies in wait for those who wanted to admire this phenomenon, tickles the nerves of extremists. In the movie "Kon-Tiki", directed by the filmmakers Joaquim Ronning and Espen Sandberg, the legendary tour of Tour Heyerdahl and the whirlwind with waves at a height of nine meters are described. Of course, the screenwriters slightly embellished and exaggerated, but the meeting of currents with different temperatures and thermoclines can be quite unpredictable. Therefore, when going to visit these places, it is better to turn to professionals. They will provide you with a safe voyage.