Reserva
Another of the riches of the Galápagos Islands is the Marine Reserve, also declared a protected area. In certain areas, you can dive or snorkel and come into contract with marvellous aquatic species which live underwater: whales, whale sharks, hammerhead shark, rays, manta rays, sword fish and turtles, etc. Other habitats are the rocky seabed, vertical rock faces, sandy beaches, mangrove swamps and, to a lesser extent, coral reefs. Coastal lakes, moist soil and areas where freshwater and seawater mix contain unique species still to be studied.
Cold, hot and warm marine currents come together here, generating a wide diversity of animal life: from small coloured fish to large mammals. This reserve, which lies a thousand kilometers from the Ecuadorian mainland, covers an area of around 133,000 sq. km.
