Subtidal Galapagos: Exploring the Waters of Darwin's Islands

D.A. Curtis was a Toronto freelance writer.

The unique flora and fauna of the isolated Galapagos Islands off the coast of Ecuador are world famous, and protected by stringent, strictly enforced laws prohibiting any interference by visitors or residents. Until recently, however, the equally unique surrounding sealife was given no protection, and was threatened by commercial fishermen, tourists and souvenir hunters.

Canadian photographer James Cribb felt a deep concern for the threatened marvels of subtidal Galapagos. This volume is a stunning pictorial record of the underwater wildlife he was determined to preserve for posterity, if only on film, as his part of a plea for the “preservation of one of the planet’s most extraordinary ecosystems.” Happily, he was not alone in his concern. In May, 1986, shortly after his photographic expedition, the president of Ecuador declared that “all inshore waters extending 15miles off the outer coast of the islands were to be incorporated into a natural park.”

The natural wonders, which James Cribb sought out and photographed, are accessible to only a few fortunate visitors to these remote islands. Thanks to his artistry and dedication, this garden of undersea delights is now available. It is well written and beautifully illustrated, with over a hundred colour photographs.