The Asian Age

In the Galapagos, a hammerhead shark nursery

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Santa Cruz, Ecuador: For millions of years, newborn hammerhead sharks have grown up in nurseries sheltered by the mangrove swamps and reefs of the Galapagos Islands, safe from all human threat.

But until November, biologists had no idea the sharks had their own hideaway that could hold some of the final secrets of this remote archipelag­o 1,000 kilometers off South America’s Pacific coast.

“It was quite by chance that we found this natural nursery for baby hammerhead­s, a species that is under a high level of threat,” said Eduardo Espinoza, the biologist in charge of monitoring ecosystems in the Galapagos Marine Reserve. “It is a unique area, of great interest to conservati­onists,” he said.

Still stunned by the find, Espinoza and his team are returning by boat to the spot in northeaste­rn Santa Cruz, one of the main islands in the archipelag­o, to collect data and attach tracking devices to the young sharks.

The picturesqu­e journey takes the scientists past sea turtles and white beaches where black marine iguanas sun themselves while enormous pelicans soar overhead, before their small boat winds its way down a narrow channel between the mangroves to a shallow, rocky pool.

Clearly visible dozens of small, silver- skinned sharks, one eye on either extremity of their Tshaped heads, glide gently among other species of fish, looking for the crustacean­s they feed on during their early years.

“The females arrive to give birth and then leave. The young have all the food they need here and the reefs afford protection from large predators,” said Espinoza.

 ??  ?? A baby hammerhead shark swims after being released by the Galapagos National Park research team where a shark nursery was discovered along the coast of Santa Cruz Island in Galapagos, Ecuador.
A baby hammerhead shark swims after being released by the Galapagos National Park research team where a shark nursery was discovered along the coast of Santa Cruz Island in Galapagos, Ecuador.
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