Divers swim with hundreds of scalloped hammerhead sharks

The Galapagos Islands are famous for many things, especially for those passionate about scuba diving. It is a world full of mystery and intrigue and the unique and fascinating marine animals draw enthusiasts from all over the world. One of the animals that is most appealing is the schooling scalloped hammerhead sharks. More than ten feet long, these large sharks have a commanding presence, especially when they are found in such large numbers. Divers here make their way down quickly from the boat to the rocky ledges that surround Wolf and Darwin Islands. They must descend rapidly to avoid being swept away in the powerful currents. Once they are lined up along the rock wall, they look out into the ocean in front of them and above them to see hammerhead sharks all around. This ledge is know as "The Theater" and it is like the biggest IMAX show in the world. The sharks are graceful and beautiful with their smooth movements. The first sight of a hammerhead swimming towards you leaves you with a sense of awe, admiration and a mild twinge of fear. These are formidable animals that can swim with lightning speed and they have large, powerful jaws full of razor sharp teeth.

Despite the fact that a hammerhead shark is capable of killing a human easily, there is actually very little danger in swimming among them as long as certain rules are respected. Divers remain in groups, maintain a vertical position if a shark comes close and they avoid acting panicky. They are also careful not to approach a shark too closely or quickly. Unprovoked shark attacks are extremely rare and humans simply do not represent food for sharks.

These hammerheads don't feed much during the day. They actually swim while resting half of their brain at a time. This allows them to move and maintain a certain level of alertness while getting their "sleep". This is a recent discovery, and it was once believed that sharks didn’t sleep at all. We still have much to learn about this underwater domain, and especially about the sharks, which are very misunderstood creatures.