Galapagos High Sea

The open Pacific southeast of the Galápagos lies between the volcanic islands and the coast of South America. Currents connect these waters with the rich fishing grounds off Peru and with the archipelago, where whales and seabirds find food. By the end of the eighteenth century British and American whalers were crossing the Pacific in search of sperm whales, using the islands as a base for lengthy voyages away from their home ports.