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We’ve all probably had this sensation when relaxing in warm water: a sharp splash of cool water runs up and over you from below, leaving you with goosebumps all over and your face shooting up to the surface in confusion. This time, your body is being warned not to expose itself to the cold for an extended period by a simple change in water temperature. While our bodies may tell us to stay away, some animals thrive in these temperatures.
The quantity of food available in the ocean is a measure of productivity. This food is sometimes large (nekton) or tiny (plankton). Plankton refers to passive swimmers carried by ocean currents, whereas nekton includes active swimmers like squid, fish, rays, sharks, etc. Planktonic things include diatoms, dinoflagellates, larval stages, and others. Thus, productivity and the density of living things are related. Our oceans’ colder water is typically more productive than its warmer counterpart. The salinity and water temperature can affect the ocean’s productivity.
Deep Submarine Currents
When very deep submarine currents move in one direction they can travel extensively for thousands of miles. Additionally, the physical and chemical characteristics of these currents can be affected by obstacles that force an abrupt change in direction or by the sudden exposure to sunlight. Very deep in the ocean, hardly any light penetrates the water column, and it is only in the last 100 meters (330 ft) that color gradually begins to appear. Blues and some greens come first, and then purples, yellows, and reds. This fascinating prism is what allows marine life to unfold. As a result, when a massive submarine current strikes an island’s volcanic foundation, its swift surface approach will not only chill the water at shallow depths but also allow deep-water nutrients to enter the region’s home to plankton and nekton. In actuality, this is the proper interpretation of “marine productivity.”
Upwellings
Oceanographers have created a particular word, “upwelling,” to characterize this mechanical movement of water (the beginning of productivity). This means that the deepwater upwelling brings various nutrients to the top, which also chills the surface. Tropical locations near the equator, such as the Galapagos Islands, are unique because these “marine deserts” of productivity are occasionally encountered. Naturally, it is assumed there is no upwelling. The western Galapagos is home to an intense ocean current called the Equatorial Countercurrent, sometimes known as the Cromwell Current, which runs in the opposite direction of its upper cousin, the South Equatorial Current (SEC), because of the region’s distinct volcanic substrate and underwater landscape. This chilly, nutrient-rich water surges quickly and forcefully up the volcanic bases of the Isabela and Fernandina Islands, transforming an unproductive marine area into a thriving sanctuary for aquatic life. Thanks to this well-studied upwelling force, the tropical Galapagos Islands benefit from a distinct combination of subtropical conditions at higher or lower latitudes. Upwelling can cause the tropics to chill off at the surface, literally physically.
Living at 0°0’00” Latitude
Penguins, boobies, pelicans, fur seals, sea lions, whales, dolphins, and a variety of cold-water species can all be found living at precisely 0°0’00” latitude because of these particular environmental factors. The islands are distinct from other warmer and colder regions because of this. Tropical species must be able to endure subtropical circumstances to flourish here, while subtropical species must be able to tolerate tropical conditions. As a result, a universe that is constantly changing was created. These experiences can be had on any of the Santa Cruz II expedition itineraries in the Galapagos, and you have to try and spend time on any expedition that ventures out to the far west of the archipelago to locate any of these tropical extremes.
It’s usual to locate that strip of frigid water when snorkeling in the Galapagos Islands, which gives us goosebumps and makes us shiver but also provides us the chance to view a fur seal in warm water, a penguin in the tropics, or even a misty and mysterious sunrise directly on the Equator. You have to adore these upwellings since they preserve the distinctiveness of the Galapagos Islands and ensure that everyone who visits will have fantastic wildlife experiences!
