Wild Galapagos - Part 13: In the Grip of the Ocean

Wild Galapagos - Part 13: In the Grip of the Ocean | Wildlife Documentary

In the middle of the Pacific Ocean, around 1000 km to the west of South America, there is a group of volcanic islands. The Galapagos Archipelago. The islands are considered the cradle of evolution. Nowhere else you could find such a rare variety of animals, including diving iguanas, giant tortoises with snake-like necks, and albatrosses which you normally expect on the open ocean.

The secret to this biodiversity lies hidden in the Pacific. Two mighty ocean currents keep a firm grip on the Galapagos. The ice-cold Humboldt Current from Antarctica brought animals to the Galapagos which would normally just exist in cold regions. It dominates one half of the year. The other half of the year, the warm, tropical Panama Current reigns over the remote, ancient islands and brings its own animals with it. These powerful currents alternate every six months, inverting life in the Galapagos!