SCUBA Dec 2026 issue 171 | Page 58

TRAVELSPECIAL
A school of scalloped hammerheads move over an expanse of white sand at Darwin Island, northern Galapagos
A large female hammerhead

Hammerheads of the Galapagos

Setting the scene: It’ s the greatest show on Earth, the eerie-yet-inspirational sight of a school of scalloped hammerheads emerging from the haze. There are quite a few hammerhead hotspots out there, but my favourite is the Northern Galapagos, at the islands of Wolf and Darwin.
Stars of the show: If you’ ve ever had a glimpse of a hammerhead shark, you’ re instantly addicted. It isn’ t that they are aggressive or in-your-face. On the contrary they are innately shy creatures, burdened with a set of sensory apparatus that make them tricky to approach. They seem to have a particular dislike of bubbles; both
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