Galapagos High Sea

South of the Galápagos Islands, the Pacific surrounds a volcanic archipelago far from the coast of Ecuador. Ocean currents bring cool, nutrient-rich water into these tropical latitudes, sustaining fish, seabirds and marine mammals. From the late eighteenth century whaling ships visited the islands for water and provisions, taking giant tortoises aboard for food. Their voyages connected this remote ocean with the ports and hunting grounds of the wider Pacific.