TRAVELSPECIAL it takes an overnight steam to get there .
The word ‘ iconic ’ is overused – especially in the diving press – but the term was entirely appropriate when applied to Darwin ’ s Arch . It served as a sentinel , welcoming blearyeyed divers to the northernmost specks of an already remote archipelago . What truly sealed its status were the incredible displays of marine life under the waterline .
Darwin ’ s underworld
Most dives at Darwin start with a negative entry , the priority being to scramble down across the volcanic rock to reach a plateau known as the viewing platform . Even at depth there is often current and swell , but with a little practice it becomes manageable , and the rewards are many .
This is an area surrounded by abyssal zones , where oceanic currents converge and the water is fizzing with energy . Quite often , the light is blocked out by the sheer density of Pacific creolefish , and there are thick schools of many different species of trevally and tuna . The rocky reef bristles with endemic barnacle blennies , alongside other favourites such as the giant hawkfish and a myriad moray eels .
The stars of the show are all out in the blue , where different layers of oceanic water collide , creating a halocline . This is where scalloped hammerheads ride the currents , often visiting the reef to be cleaned by barberfish . Sometimes they appear fleetingly in small groups , but if you get lucky you may encounter a mass school that fills the entire water column with shimmering silhouettes .
It ’ s not all about the hammerheads – you ’ re equally likely to see oceanic manta rays , yellowfin tuna and schools of eagle rays , as well as hawksbill and green turtles . If you want yet more sharks , there are silkies and the beefier Galapagos sharks , which can be seen in vast numbers as you drift along on the later stages of the dive . From June to October , there are some of the biggest whale sharks in the world , at 12 metres as big as humpback whales . The seasonal presence of these pregnant females suggests there is a birthing zone somewhere beyond the sight of the visiting divers .
Darwin ’ s Arch stood as a symbol of the ocean as it should be – healthy , rich , protected . On its day , it ’ s the best big animal dive site in the world . Now the Arch has gone , and we are left with the newly christened Pillars . They may not provide quite the same photo opportunity Arch , but perhaps they represent something relevant for today – a symbol of nature ’ s fragility in the face of global forces . �
57