It is reached on foot along a wooden boardwalk that crosses the mangroves and ends at a small platform from which visitors enter the water. Snorkelling and swimming are the activities of the place. Galápagos sea lions, sea turtles, marine iguanas, tropical fish, rays, and Galápagos penguins may appear in the lagoon or on the platform, always as a possibility. The marine iguana is endemic to Galápagos, and the tortuga prieta is the archipelago's green turtle. The visit takes place within the protected area: not touching or disturbing the animals and keeping a distance is the expected conduct.
A mangrove lagoon next to Puerto Villamil
Pearl Shell is a small saltwater lagoon next to the Puerto Villamil dock, on Isabela island. Volcanic rock formations shelter it from the open sea, and its calm, clear waters are surrounded by red, black, white, and button mangroves.
The wooden boardwalk
The site is reached on foot along a wooden boardwalk that crosses the mangroves from the area around the dock. The walk ends at a small wooden platform, from which visitors enter the water.
Essential information
- Identity
- Pearl Shell, on Isabela island
- Location
- Next to the Puerto Villamil dock
- Type of site
- A lagoon of calm, clear saltwater, sheltered by volcanic rock
- Mangroves
- Red, black, white, and button mangroves
- Access
- On foot, along a wooden boardwalk through the mangroves that ends at a small platform
- Activities
- Snorkelling and swimming
- Possible wildlife
- Sea lions, sea turtles, marine iguanas, tropical fish, rays, and Galápagos penguins
- Sea lion
- Galápagos sea lion (Zalophus wollebaeki)
- Marine iguana
- Marine iguana (Amblyrhynchus cristatus), endemic to Galápagos
- Tortuga prieta
- Tortuga prieta (Chelonia mydas agassizii), the Galápagos green turtle
- Conduct
- Do not touch or disturb the animals, and keep a distance
Snorkelling and swimming in calm waters
Snorkelling and swimming are the activities of the place. The lagoon, sheltered by volcanic rock, offers calm waters in which the bottom and the life it holds can be observed, with conditions that change from one moment to the next.
Possible wildlife in the lagoon
The Galápagos sea lion, Zalophus wollebaeki, the tortuga prieta, Chelonia mydas agassizii, and the marine iguana, Amblyrhynchus cristatus, endemic to Galápagos, may appear in the lagoon; marine iguanas may also be seen on the platform. Tropical fish, rays, and Galápagos penguins complete the possible presences.
None of these presences is assured: they are possibilities of the place, not an offer the lagoon fulfils on every visit.
A visit within the protected area
Pearl Shell is part of the Galápagos protected area. Not touching or disturbing the animals and keeping a distance, in the water and on the platform, is the expected conduct so that wildlife can continue its activity without interference.
Frequently asked questions
- A small lagoon of calm, clear saltwater, surrounded by mangroves, next to the Puerto Villamil dock, on Isabela island.
- On foot, along a wooden boardwalk that crosses the mangroves and ends at a small platform from which visitors enter the water.
- Snorkelling and swimming in the lagoon's calm waters.
- Galápagos sea lions, sea turtles, marine iguanas, tropical fish, rays, and Galápagos penguins, always as a possibility.
- Red mangrove, black mangrove, white mangrove, and button mangrove.
- Do not touch or disturb the animals, and keep a distance, in the water and on the platform.