It was 11:30 in the morning; the sun was shining on the bird island, while the Polaris gently rocked from side to side. Guests were arriving from the beach. Their faces cheered up after a warm, wonderful snorkeling and bird-watching experience. However, a few of us were a bit melancholic because we had witnessed how a Nazca booby, with no obvious reason, killed a young helpless frigate. Nevertheless we understood that this is the way of nature. There is not always a purpose to things, they just happen, and life keeps its balance. That was the mood on board at the time that the deep-water snorkelers arrived. They filled the reception area with noise and excitement. The booby-frigate experience was overshadowed by pure snorkelers' adrenaline. They had seen schools of hammerhead sharks in the deep blue ocean!
Daniel couldn't wait to show us his great footage. And indeed, through the underwater camera he shared with all of us the experience of facing the main predators of the sea. They are distinguished from all other sharks by the hammer-like lateral expansions of the head, on the ends of which are located the eyes and nostrils. That unique head shape may serve different purposes like to increase electroreceptivity, sensory and feeding enhancement or for species recognition. The head may also be of hydrodynamic advantage. Of the 2 genera and nine species worldwide of hammerhead sharks (Sphyrnidae family), our guests saw Sphyrna lewini, or the scalloped hammerhead, which is the common species around the Galapagos waters.
To look at the video was like being down in the water with the giant fish, happily avoiding the fear of sharing the ocean with it. I am sure the snorkelers will never forget that encounter.
