Underwater Wonders

The list of the Seven Underwater Wonders of the World was created by CEDAM International (Conservation, Education, Diving, Awareness and Marine research), a non-profit organization of divers. This organization is dedicated to the Sea research and conservation.

CEDAM began the Seven Underwater Wonders project in 1989 in order to protect the underwater wonders, before they will be lost forever. The places declared as underwater wonders were selected basis of its beauty, its marine life, its scientific research value and its environmental importance. Finally, the results were revealed at the National Aquarium in Washington DC, and the list includes the following amazing places:

Wonder: Belize Barrier Reef 
Country: Belize
Region: Belize City
Visitable: Yes
About:

The Belize Barrier Reef is the largest barrier reef of the western hemisphere and the second of the world. Its beauty has no comparison in the world.

Wonder type: Underwater Wonder National Wonder

This impressive corals reef is located in the Atlantic Caribbean coast of Belize approximately 300 meters from the coast at the north of the country and around 40 Kilometers from the coast at the south of Belize. The Belize Barrier Reef is part of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System; the Belize’s Barrier covers 260 Kilometers of the Mesoamerican Barrier. Because of its amazing beauty and diverse ecosystem the Belize Barrier Reef is considered by CEDAM, one of the Underwater Wonders of the World.

The Belize Barrier Reef is the largest barrier reef of the western hemisphere and the second of the world. It is composed by beautiful corals formations, myriad fish and invertebrates. Most species of reef-building corals live in the clear waters of the Belize’s sea. The Barrier Reef is composed by an amazing set of lagoon patch reefs, offshore atolls and fringing reefs.

The Belize Barrier Reef can be divided in three major provinces, each has a distinctive geomorphic features and a unique reef community composition: the northern province contains 46 Kilometers of shallow-water reefs, the central province has 92 Kilometers of shallow-waters reefs and the southern province has 10 Kilometers of shallow-waters reefs.

One of the landmarks of the Belize Reef Barrier is the place known as the Lighthouse Reef, where a famous and large crater named Blue Hole (305 meters diameter and 122 meters deep) is filled by crystal-clear waters. Another important point of the reserve is Glover’s Reef, which is located at south; here it is the Emerald Forest a nice place that owes its name to the elk horn coral trees of big diameter and canopies of 3 meters height that grow here.

This wonderful underwater paradise is the home of porpoises, turtles, sharks, manatees, sharks, butterfly fish and many other marine organisms. The Belize Barrier hosts also the largest population of West Indian manatee of the planet, endangered specie like the American crocodile, other specie that also lives here. Besides, the delicate ecosystem of this reef is composed also by cays, grass flats and mangrove swamps. It is one of the most diverse ecosystems of the world housing over 70 hard coral species, 36 soft coral species, 500 species of fish and 350 mollusks, plus a great variety of crustaceans, sponges and marine worms. Nevertheless, most scientists believe that only 10% of the species that live in this ecosystem have been discovered.

In addition to the underwater life that sustains this ecosystem. The Belize Barrier reef is also the home of large colonies of sea bird such as red-footed, brown booby Sula, brown pelican, and frigate birds amongst other. This fascinating site is a paradise for the nature lovers, especially for the divers, who can find in the Belize Barrier Reef a new and wonderful universe that is beyond what anyone can imagine.

HISTORY

There evidence of human fishing in the Belize Barrier Reef since 2500 years ago; The Mayan used this reef for fishing between 300 BC and 900 Ad. Since that age, the Barrier Reef had an important role in the economy of the region, role that still meets to this day. The zone of Bacalar Chico had a great importance to the Maya people as a ceremonial center. There are also vestiges of the Maya civilization in South Water Caye, Sapodilla Cayes and Glovers Reef areas. During the early Spanish colonial time the zone was abandoned by men, only some Spanish explorers used the region to repair boats or collect water. In the XVII century the region was used as refuge to pirates.

Belize Barrier Reef

Charles Darwin the famous creator of the Evolution theory was one of the first scientists that studied the Belize Barrier Reef. In 1842, he referred to this marvelous ecosystem in his work about the origin and evolution of coral reefs. Since then, the Belize Barrier Reef became the most famous coral reef of the Western hemisphere. In the XIX century began the waves of human immigration to the Barrier Reef area, mainly from Mexico, which continues until today because of the beauty and rich of the reef and the economic opportunities that represent.

In the lasts year the Belize Barrier Reef attracts around 150 000 tourists per year generating around 80 million dollars. The Reef is the main attraction of the country and one of the greatest sources of incomes. Therefore, there is a big tourist infrastructure installed along the Barrier Reef. This place has been also subject of scientific research; mainly since the 1960s, several research organizations like the Smithsonian Institute or the New York Natural History Society have established research centers in the zone.

Unfortunately today, the Belize Barrier Reef like many other important underwater paradises of the planet, is overused by man seriously endangering its existence, therefore most part of the Reef Barrier is protected by the Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System, which is composed by 7 marine reserves, 450 cays and 3 atolls, which in total occupied an area of 960 square kilometers (370 square miles). The Reserve System was declared in 1996 World Heritage by UNESCO. Nevertheless, despite all conservation efforts, almost 40% of the Reserve has been damaged since 1998; because of the oceanic contamination, the excessive tourism, agrochemical run-off, the uncontrolled fishing and the global warming. It is our task halt the destruction of this wonderful natural treasure and to preserve it for future generations.

Wonder: Deep Sea Vents
Country: Ecuador
Region: Puerto Ayora
Visitable: Yes
About:

They are also known as hydrothermal vents. They sustain some of the most bizarre and impressive ecosystems of the world, since these ecosystems are to a great depth and live without sunlight.

Wonder type: Underwater Wonder National Wonder

Deep sea vents are also known as hydrothermal vents, deepwater seeps, deep sea springs or hydro-thermal vents. They are in the planet’s surface and are great submarine geysers generated because of the geothermal energy. There are hydrothermal vents in several zones of the planet; nevertheless, the first submarine hydrothermal vents that were studied and probably the most famous are to the east of the Galapagos Islands.

The hydrothermal vents are usually formed along the Mid Ocean ridges in locations where two tectonic plates are diverging; this circumstance creates a great geothermal energy that generates the hydrothermal vents, which are mainly sea water which is expelled with great pressure and high temperature, because of the magma that heated the water. The hydrothermal vents situated near Galápagos were formed because of the split of the Farallon plate into two separate plates, the Cocos Plate at north and the Nazca Plate at the south. They are commonly more than 2438 meters (8000 feet) below the surface of the ocean.

The hydrothermal vents are flows of emerged water which are mixed quickly with several minerals like manganese, copper, zinc, iron, mineral anhydrite, and sulfides. The water emerges at temperatures that can reach 400ºC .The hydrothermal vents; shape some times roughly cylindrical chimney structures composed by mineral particles from the thermal water flow. These chimneys reach heights of until 60 meters. Some of these chimneys expelled water of dark color; therefore they are called “black smokers”.

The most impressive about these geothermal systems is the life that they sustain. Even before the discovery of these hydrothermal vents, scientists thought that the existence of life to this deep, temperature and without sunlight was not possible. Nevertheless, this fantastic discovery demonstrated that life can be adapted and thrive in almost any environment; the hydrothermal vent’s discovery changed forever the vision we had about the biology in the Earth.

Most organisms in the planet get its energy from the sunlight; plant cells use the sun’s energy to generate the organic compounds (carbohydrates, oxygen, etc.) and the energy that they need to survive, other organisms of upper levels in the food chain, exploit also the solar energy when they eat photosynthetic organisms or even when they respire. Scientists knew the existence of several organisms in the deep sea; but they thought that these organisms are sustained by a nutrients rain from the upper levels of the ocean; that is to say, they depended also of the sun’s energy to survive. However, the organisms that inhabit the zone around the hydrothermal vents depend only of the resources generated by the hydrothermal chimneys. The first link in the food chain of this system is an amazing chemosynthetic bacterium, which use sulfur compounds like hydrogen sulfide and the geothermal energy to produce energy and organic material. Most organisms of the ecosystem use these bacteria as food; that means, chemosynthetic bacterium is the base of the life in the hydrothermal vents.

Hydrothermal fluid are expelled of the vents containing hydrogen sulfide, the chemosynthetic bacterium around the vents take hydrogen sulfide, oxygen and carbon dioxide from the water. Later, bacterium use these compounds to get energy by braking down the hydrogen sulfide; with the energy generated and oxygen, the microbes convert carbon dioxide into sugars; finally, bacterium release sulfur and water. This process similar to the photosynthesis, allow to survive the bacterium and the rest of ecosystem’s organisms of the hydrothermal vents.

This marvelous unique type of ecosystem sustains a great variety of organisms such as pogonophorans, gastropods, annelids, bivalve, amongst other. All they are perfectly adapted to survive in the extreme environmental condition of the hydrothermal vents; a great example of this fact is the great number of large communities of tube worms that inhabit this ecosystem; these worms absorb nutrients directly trough their tissues in a symbiotic relationship with the chemosynthetic bacterium. There are also blind crabs (they don’t need to see because there is not light), pink ventfish, sea cucumbers, sponges, brittle stars, around 48 mollusk species and many other unique species.

HISTORY

In 1977 a chemosynthetic ecosystem was discovered surrounded a set of submarine hydrothermal vents along the Galapagos Rift in the East Pacific Rise. Bu,t only two years later in 1979 a group of biologists came back to the zone to study the hydrothermal vent communities. Scientists used to see the hydrothermal vents, an ONR research submersible called ALVIN. Thanks to this research, this same year, Peter Lonsdale published a work about the hydrothermal vent life, which showed for first time to the world the existence of this wonderful new universe.

Life Around Hydrothermal Vents

The discovery of this new ecosystem revolutionized the biology, because it showed that the life in the Earth could exist in extreme environments and on unexpected ways. Since 1979, scientists have discovered around 300 species of life living around the hydrothermal vents. There raised questions that never entered our minds before, such as what special features do organisms have to live at hydrothermal vents? Why do different kinds of animals live different vent sites? How the animals migrate to other vent site? and many other questions.

Since 1979, several other hydrothermal vents have been discovered and studied, such as the Kermadec Arc in New Zealand that is still explored by the company Neptune Resources NL. One of the vents discovered recently is the Medusa hydrothermal, which is located in the Pacific Ocean offshore of Costa Rica, this deep sea vent was discovered in 2007. Wherever, it looks along the ridge, it finds hydrothermal vents and the vents in different regions of the ocean host very different animals.

Nevertheless, since the discovery of the hydrothermal vents a new dilemma was born; since, these places are not only a wonderful ecosystem; they are also a new source of rich for the mining.

The great quantities of minerals that are in the hydrothermal vents could be exploited via deposition of seafloor massive sulfide deposits, as is done in Mt Isa in Queensland Australia. Several mineral explorations companies have showed its interest for the extraction of minerals directly from the hydrothermal fields. This kind of underwater mining involves the construction of new infrastructures, which could harm seriously the delicate ecosystem around the hydrothermal vents. Therefore; more studies must be done before allowing the mining activities in these unique places; since, if the hydrothermal vents are destroyed, we will destroy also a whole universe of life, which until recently we did not know and about which we know still very little. The preservation of the deep sea vents and the ecosystems linked to them is a responsibility of entire humanity. The major challenge of the future is to design more efficient ways of exploring the remaining 90 percent of the ocean ridge that we have not still discovered.

Wonder: Galapagos Islands
Country: Ecuador
Region: Puerto Ayora
Visitable: Yes
About:

This archipelago is the home of some of the most beautiful and impressive species of the world, which inspired to Charles Darwin to create the Evolution Theory.

Wonder type: Underwater Wonder National Wonder

The Galapagos Islands are an archipelago composed by five major islands located very near equatorial line to 972 Kilometers west of continental territory of Ecuador in the Pacific Ocean. They are considered a true natural wonder of the World. The main Islands of the archipelago are Isabella, Fernandina, San Cristobal, San Salvador and Santa Cruz. In addition to the five major islands, there are also 8 other large islands and around forty islets and smaller rocks. The capital of the province is Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, a small city located in the San Cristobal Island. Nevertheless, the largest town of the archipelago is Puerto Ayora, which is located in the island of Santa Cruz. The total area of the islands is around 8000 square kilometers.

The archipelago of Galapagos is a province of Ecuador and its population is around 40000 people. Galapagos Islands are famous thanks to the famous scientist Charles Darwin, who visited the islands in the XIX century during the trip that inspired him to create the Theory of the Evolution and the Natural Selection.

The Galapagos Islands hosts some of the most impressive wildlife of the world; but, not only because flora and fauna of the islands is so beautiful; but, also because they have evolved without human presence, therefore they are virtually fearless of human. The isolation of the islands which are far from the continental coast of Ecuador is the main reason to this unique evolution process.

The failure of large predators, to evolve in the islands, allowed many species to prosper in these islands. Therefore the Galapagos are the home of a great variety of endemic and unique species like the sea lions, local penguins, Galapagos tortoise, Galapagos green turtle, dolphins, vampire finch, marine iguanas, lava lizards, whales, sharks, etc. There are also a great variety of sea birds like blue-footed boobies, frigate birds, flamingos and albatrosses. The plants of Galapagos are also fascinating, the islands host a great variety of endemic Scalesia, tree ferns, bromelias, lava flows and orchids. The Archipelago has some rare species of cotton, tomato, pepper, guava and passion flowers. The underwater life in Galapagos is also very beautiful. The islands hosts many endemic fish species and aquatic plants, therefore, Galapagos Islands are considered one of the Underwater Wonders of the planet.

An important factor in the evolution of the creatures that inhabit in Galapagos is the climate. The Galapagos archipelago has a climate unusually dry for the tropics. There are only two seasons and the temperatures of the sea range from 16 ºC (61ºF) to 28ºC (82ºF). This temperature is ideal to the endemic species of Galapagos.

The sui generis evolution process of Galapagos’s ecosystem played a key role in the development of the theory of natural selection created by Charles Darwin. Fortunately and thanks to the protection to the natural environment of the islands, the wildlife here is no less astonishing now than when Darwin visited the Galapagos.

Visitors arrived to Galapagos mainly by plane; there are guided tours available. Galapagos is probably the only place in the Earth where you can do diving with a penguin or amongst the sea lions. The Galapagos Islands are one of the most precious treasures of the planet and one of the last refuges of the wildlife in the world.

HISTORY

These marvelous islands were formed around 5 million years ago, because of volcanic eruptions. Several islands of the Galapagos archipelago have still active volcanoes, being the most active volcanoes in the Fernandina and Isabella islands. The volcanic activity was generated by the interaction amongst the three tectonic plates, the plate of the Pacific, the plate of Nazca and the plate of Cocos. Because of this constant geological activity, the volcanoes in the Galapagos Islands are some of the most active volcanoes of the world.

Galapagos Green Turtle

It believes the first humans that arrived to the islands were the Chimu and later the Incas who ruled in Peru and entire South America until the beginning of the XVI century. The Europeans discovered the Galapagos in 1535 when Fray Tomas de Berlanga, the Bishop of Panama discovered accidentally the islands when he was in route to Peru. In that time, this archipelago was known as Bewitched Islands, because of the beautiful geography and biodiversity that characterize to these amazing islands. Nevertheless, one of the first maps that considered the islands, was made by Abraham Ortelius in 1570. In this map the Islands appeared with the name of “Insulae de los Galopegos” (that means Islands of the Tortoises). Between the XVI and XVIII century the Galapagos were used mainly by pirates as base for its activities. In the XIX century the seafarers arrived to the islands. searching whales to extract oil. This exploitation put the fur seals and sperm whales near extinction.

The first scientific study in the islands was made in 1835 by Charles Darwin who arrived to Galapagos aboard the Beagle. This work was used by Darwin as evidence of his evolution theory, which was published in his famous work “The Origin of the Species by Natural Selection”. Darwin noticed that the mockingbird’s anatomy differed between different islands; the same fact occurred with the tortoises (there are fourteen distinct forms of tortoises in the archipelago). When Darwin returned to England, he analyzed these differences; he noticed that they were due to different adaptation processes, which are one of the main pylons of the Evolution Theory.

In 1892 the Galapagos were named officially “Archipelago de Colón” in honor to Christopher Columbus. In 1934 Ecuador created the first legislation to protect the Galapagos Islands. During the World War II, the government of Ecuador, authorized the United States to establish a naval Base in Baltra, one of the Galapagos. The islands were declared a national Reserve in 1959 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the publication of the Origin of Species of Darwin, this same year the Charles Darwin Foundation was founded, in order to ensure the preservation of the ecosystem of the Galapagos Islands.

In 1964 the Charles Darwin Research Station is created in Santa Cruz Island. In 1973, Puerto Barquerizo Morenos, the capital of Galapagos was founded. In 1978 the islands were declared World Heritage by UNESCO, this condition was extended in 2001 to include the marine reserve around the archipelago. Nevertheless, despite all preservation efforts done in Galapagos, there are still many threats to the ecosystem of the islands, like the introduction of foreign species of plants and animals, such as cats, feral goats, cattle as well as plants like avocado, cascarilla, citrus, amongst other; since, these species, threaten the survival of native species.

One of the major dangers in the Galapagos are the black rats, which attacks mainly the nest of the Galapagos tortoises one of the most representative species and one of the most endangered. The cattle are another great problem, because goats, cows and donkeys eat the vegetation of the islands that is the main food of many native species. The same problem occurs in the sea; since, foreign species of fish have been introduced in the sea around the islands, endangering the existence of the endemic species. The illegal fishing is also another great threat, as well as the growing number of tourists that visit Galapagos every year. Because of these menaces, UNESCO decided in 2007 to put the Galapagos Islands on their World Heritage in Danger List. It is necessary to make great efforts to ensure that this wonderful and unique ecosystem will not be destroyed forever.

Wonder: Palau Reefs
Country: Palau
Region: Koror
Visitable: Yes
About:

The Palau Archipelago is one of the Seven Underwater Wonders of the World and is one of the most biodiverse Corals Reefs of the world.

Wonder type: Underwater Wonder National Wonder

Palau is an Island nation in the Pacific Ocean composed by around 343 islands, whose surrounding seas and coasts are considered a wonder of the Underwater World. Palau is one of the greatest diving spots of the Earth. It is located to the southwest of Micronesia to 800 Kilometers (around 500 miles) of the Philippines.

In 1989, the  Palau aechipelago was ranked by the ecologist organization  CEDAM (Conservation, Education, Diving, Awareness and Marine-research) as one of the Seven Underwater Wonders of the World. Palau also known as Belau is an amazing coral reef which was shaped around two million years ago. The geology of the zone is quite diverse. The northern zone of Palau is composed by two atolls, whereas the biggest island “Babeldaob” has volcanic origin and some of its highest places are over 700 feet (214 meters) over sea level.

Despite, the corals of Palau are not the biggest of the world; they are probably the most beautiful and diverse. Besides, the great spectacle of biodiversity is easily visible in the clear water with visibility exceeding 200 feet (61 meters). It highlights the corals of the Ngameli Island, whose coral gardens own a beauty that any garden made by men can not match. These wonderful corals resembling pretty plants and flowers have all possible combination of colors, they are simply fascinating.

According many scientists Palau is the most biologically diverse coral reef of the world. Sea biologists have found 700 coral species and over 1500 fish species in the reefs of Palau. Some of the most famous species that live in this underwater universe are: yellow butterfly fish, blue-headed wrasses, trunk fish, emperor angelfish-black, Ngemelis corals, anemones, giant clams (whose bodies measure until one meter), red and green brittle stars, shellfish, big cuttlefish, octopus, squids, the bizarre cocodrilefish, sea turtles, dolphins, whales, sea cow, etc. All these species of fish attracts also a great variety of predators like sharks, manta rays, eagle rays amongst other.

Palau is famous also by its marine lakes and fresh water, the island has around 80 marine lakes, each of these lagoons hide a beautiful living world, which is not found any where else in the world, one of the most famous is the Jellyfish lake, an amazing marine lake which was isolated during millions of years and which has an impressive jellyfish population. Nevertheless, these jelly-fish are not dangerous; swimmers can swim free in the lake without scare of getting stung. This is because the jelly-fish evolved without predators (like turtles), therefore their stings got atrophied because of disuse.

Another paradisiacal zone of Palau is the “Blue Corner”, a beautiful place where the stream is swift and deep blue waters charm visitors, nevertheless, most corals in this zone are dead, therefore Blue Corner is inhabited mainly by manta rays and eagle rays. The sharks and jacks are also very common in this place.  

The “Rock Islands” are other famous landmark of Palau. These islands are a set of foliage covered islands, which seem to float above the sea water. At the Rock Islands, visitors can find beautiful and quiet sand beaches, as well as a marvelous underwater water adventure, diving amongst the beautiful and colorful corals and the remains of wrecks of ships of the World War II.

HISTORY

The Palau islands are a group of volcanic islands originated several million years ago by the volcanic activity in the Pacific Ring of Fire. The impressive coral reefs of Palau started their growing, short time after the formation of the archipelago. The first polyps colonized submerged volcanic mountains and produced a sedimentary material like cement, step by step each generation of coral polyps was creating an external skeleton around their soft bodies. These skeletons were used by the next coral generation which created a new skeleton. This continuous process built the wonderful coral reefs which we can see today.

Palau

It believes that first human inhabitants of Palau arrived around 2000 BC from the current Indonesia. In 1543 Europeans discovered Palau when the Spanish explorer Ruiz Lopez Villalobos arrived to the region. Palau was under Spanish control by long time, but the island received also influences from Great Britain and Germany, mainly from the XIX century. In 1899 Germany made a treaty with Spain to purchase several islands in the region including Palau, therefore Palau became a protectorate of Germany. The German government sent several scientists to study the region.

During the first half of the XX century, the island received a great influence of Japan until 1935 when the island became part of the Japanese Empire, being one of the main military bases of Japan in the World War II. When United States defeated Japan the island passed formally to USA. Finally Palau declared its independence in 1981.

Palau thanks to its impressive underwater wealth is visited today by many tourists, most of them are divers; nevertheless the island attracts also several historians, archeologists, hikers amongst other.

The island owns a very sensitive ecosystem, which must be protected; since, it can be easily destroyed by great waves of tourists; therefore some recent laws forbids the construction of any building in this natural paradise. Palau is one of the most wonderful places of the planet and also one of the places that must be more protected.

Wonder: The Great Barrier Reef 
Country: Australia
Region: Queensland
Visitable: Yes
About:

It is the largest Corals Reef of the world and is the only collective organism that can be seen from the orbit of the Earth.

Wonder type: Natural Wonder Underwater Wonder

This wonderful corals reef is the only live collective organism that can be seen from the orbit of the Earth. The Great Barrier Reef is an amazing site of extraordinaire beauty located in the northeastern coast of Australia, where it can find almost all corals species of the world. It is the largest corals ecosystem of the planet and without doubt one of the most beautiful places of the Earth.

This place is named thus; because is an outer reef located along the Australian coast, but with a channel between the continental coastline and the reef whose depth is around 60 meters. This Reef has over 1000 islands, most of them encircled by coral reefs; these islands are the home of a great number of animals and forests; therefore these islands are one of the main attractions of the Great Barrier Reef. The Barrier Reef is composed by around 9000 islands and 2800 individual reefs, it spreads along 2600 Kilometers, occupying almost 344 400 square kilometers. Each individual reef has a size between 1 and 10 000 hectares. Besides, this marvelous ecosystem hosts also around 400 coral species, 1500 fish species, 4000 kinds of mollusk and several mammals and reptiles endangered such as the large green turtle or the dugong (also known as sea cow). There is also a great population of birds in the islands. Because of this variety Australia owns one of the richest seas of the world; therefore the country receives every year around one billion dollars thanks to the fishing industry.

The great variety and number of corals in this site is due to the ideal conditions of temperature and light of this region of the planet. The shallow and warm waters (around 18 ºC and 30 meters depth) of the zone combined with the sunshine that illuminates these waters during the entire year provide a perfect environment for the development of corals, which created also an ideal ambient for the other species that inhabit the ecosystem.

The Great Barrier Reef is one of the most beautiful underwater spectacles of the world; therefore is a true paradise to do scuba diving. This activity is also the best way to know the Great Barrier Reef. Diving in this natural wonderful is the opportunity to enter into an amazing universe of color, created by the abundant marine life. The reef looks like an endless set of gardens in bloom under ocean.

Unfortunately like most underwater paradises of the world, the Great Barrier Reef has been affected by the human contamination, which comes mainly of the rivers of the northeastern Australia, which transport to the ocean the remains of the fertilizers and pesticides used by the farmers. These chemical residues cause the decreasing of the oxygen in the water killing many corals and other species. The over fishing is also a great threat for the balance of the ecosystem.

HISTORY

This natural wonder was born around 18 million years ago. In that time Australia had for first time a coastline with water temperatures that allowed a new range of live, including tropical reef building-corals. This environmental change was caused by the separation of the territory of Australia of the ancient Gondwanaland territory that was composed by Australia, Antarctica and South America. The modification in the ambient conditions generated also the evolution of the continental species that inhabited Australia before the continental separation; producing new tropical species.

The Great Barrier Reef

The most important growing period of the corals reefs occurred two million years ago; since then the periodic glacial ages have lowered the sea level several times, this fact caused the exposition of the reef and the massive died of corals, leaving limestone hills instead of the colorful corals reefs. Nevertheless, once glacial period finished the sea level rises again and new corals polyps form new reefs, completing the life cycle. Many thousands of generations of dead corals, have constructed themselves with their skeletons, walls stones, which were covered by a great variety of new organisms.

The Australian aborigines that arrive to Australia around 40 000 years ago, were the first human that had contact with the Great Barrier Reef. They fished in this zone since ancient times. Nevertheless, the first historical registers about this natural wonder, dates from the XVI century, when a Portuguese expedition reached the eastern coast of Australia in 1522. Later, several expeditions of different Europeans countries, like the Dutch expedition led by Willem, explored during long time the Australia’s coasts. But, the Great Barrier was really known by Europeans only after June 1770 when the Bark Endeavour which was under rules of the captain James Cook, struck the Great Barrier Reef ; therefore the crew was forced to stay 6 weeks in the region where now is the modern city of Cooktown, to repair the ship. Thanks to this accident, the scientists that composed the Endeavour crew (Daniel Solander and Joseph Banks) had the opportunity to study the Reef. After this voyage, the international scientific community knew the existence of the Barrier Reef.

During the next decades the Barrier was extensively studied by several expeditions led by explorers such as William Bligh, Mathew Flinders or the Hydrographer Philip Parker King, who accurately charted most part of the northern Reef in 1820. Nevertheless, the studying of the Barrier was almost completely abandoned the rest the XIX century and many islands of the Barrier Reef were used as deposits of guano or to built lighthouses. Only in the XX century the scientific community began to study seriously this place. In 1922 was created the Great Barrier Reef Committee, which was the first association that studied detail the Great Barrier Reef, since then, several efforts to study and protect this place have been done.

In 1975 the Australian Government created the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, whose management is responsibility of the Queensland Government and the National Government. The authorities of the Park have established an administration program that includes management plans, education programs, permits and incentives to protect the Natural Reserve, etc. In 1981, the Great Barrier Reef was declared World Heritage by UNESCO, became the largest World Heritage area, covering 347 000 square kilometers. It is also considered by CEDAM one of the Wonders of the Underwater World.

In the last decades the Great Barrier Reef became an important tourist destination, mainly to the lovers of the scuba diving. Therefore, many tourist infrastructures has been built along the Queensland coastline to host the almost two million visitors that every year arrived to the zone, turning the tourism, the first economic activity of the region, generating around 5 billions dollars per year. The range of tourist services is very varied; there are boat tours, cruises, helicopter flights, underwater tours, etc.

Nevertheless, the management of the tourism in the Great Barrier Reef is very efficient and is oriented towards tourism ecologically sustainable; since, 20% of the incomes generated by visitors are used to the research and conservation of the Barrier Reef. However, the preservation of this natural paradise is a task that must be constant and it is a task for all people of the World.

Wonder: The Lake Baikal
Country: Russia
Region: Irkutsk
Visitable: Yes
About:

The Lake Baikal is the deepest lake of the world and the largest reservoir of fresh surface water of the planet and host a great variety of endemic species of flora and fauna.

Wonder type: Underwater Wonder National Wonder

The Lake Baikal is the deepest freshwater lake of the planet and the largest reservoir of fresh surface water. Its famous clear waters host a great diversity of flora and fauna. This lake is located in Asia and is part of the territory of Siberia in Russia in the boundary of the Russian provinces of Buryat Republic and Irkutskaya, near Irkutsk city. The Baikal Lake is considered by CEDAM one of the seven underwater Wonders of the World. The name Baikal, derives from two words of the Turk language, “bai” that means “wealthy” and “kul” that means “lake”.

The maximum width of the lake is 79.5 kilometers, its width minimum is 25 kilometers and it width medium is 47.8 kilometers. The lake lies along a tectonic break, which explains its great depth. The maximum deep of the lake is 1637 meters, which make this lake the deepest of the world, nevertheless its average deep is 758 meters. The Lake covers an area of 31722 square kilometers. Around 330 rivers flow their waters into this lake, being the most important the Selenga, Upper Angara and Barguzin rivers. Inside the lake there are also 22 islands, the largest island is Olkhon. It calculates that the lake contains around 23 615.390 cubical kilometers of fresh water almost 20% of the world surface fresh water reserves. It contains more water than all the North American Great Lakes combined. It is also the oldest lake of the world; since, this lake has existed since 25 million years ago.

One of the main features of the Baikal Lake is the clearness of its waters; the water is so clear that any object can be seen well at the depth of 40 meters. Besides, Baikal Lake is one of the most beautiful lakes of the planet and it is one of the few lakes that is still growing; the lake grows with an average speed of 2 cm per year (0.8 inches).

The lake hosts an impressive unique flora and fauna. Scientists have identified about 2600 species of animals and plants and almost 70 per cent of them are endemic that means, they only can be found in this lake. One of the most representative inhabitants of the Baikal’s ecosystem is the Nerpa (Phoca sibirica), a unique freshwater seal which lives in the northern zone of Baikal and in the Ushkanye islands. Another symbol of the Baikal’s fauna is the Omul, the most popular salmonid fish of the lake. Other representative specie of the lake is the Golomyanka also known as Baikal oil fish, an unusual beautiful fish, which is a translucent fish that live in depths between 200 and 500 meters, this kind of fish is famous for disintegrating and become a mass of oil and bones when they are exposed to sunlight. The region is inhabited also by foxes, eagles, deer, bears, and many others animals and plants.

The lake itself is a true wonder; but, besides it is surrounded by a marvelous landscape composed by rocky mountains and beautiful forests; therefore is one of the favorite places in Russia to do activities such as trekking, camping, kayaking, biking, fishing, etc.

About the Lake Baikal, the famous Russian writer Anton Chekhov said: "Baikal is amazing, and it is not without reason that Siberians refer to it not as a lake, but as a sea. Its water is unusually transparent, so that one can look though it as through air; its color is a soft-turquoise, pleasant to the eye. Its shores are mountainous and forest-covered; impenetrable wilderness all around. A profusion of bears, sable, wild goat and all sorts of wild thing".

HISTORY

Since ancient times many people had been living near Lake Baikal. There are vestiges of human presence in the region that date from the Stone Age, the first inhabitants of the region, considered the lake a sacred place, therefore Lake Baikal was known as Sacred Water or Sacred Sea and the people prayed and believed in the lake’s power. But, the major migration of people to the Lake Baikal’s region occurred after the Russian discovery of the lake in the XVII century. In 1643, the Cossack Kurbat Ivanov was the first Russian that arrived to the eastern Siberian. In 1647 Vasily Kolesnikov led an expedition that reached the Baikal’s northern coast.

View of the Lake Baikal

Since the beginning, the Russian people developed an economy integrated to the lake, which was based in the fishing, nut gathering and hunting that means Lake  Baikal has been the base of the region’s economy.

Since its discovery, many expeditions explored the Baikal Lake, one of the first was the scientific expedition sent by Peter I in 1723. In that time most scientific works about the lake were published by the Saint Petersburg Academy. However, only in the XIX century because of the construction of the Trans- Siberian Railway; systematic geographical and geological explorations were realized in the Baikal Lake. During the XX century, many other researches were done in the lake including a complete exploration organized by the Academy of Sciences. In 1976, the first satellite photography of Baikal Lake was taken. Nevertheless, despite all the expeditions and the long time that the lake has been explored, many questions and mysteries about Baikal Lake still keep.

The Baikal Lake was declared World Heritage by UNESCO in 1996. Unfortunately in the 50 last years, the creation of many civil and industrial settlements has generated devastating pollution in the “Sacred Water”, generating a terrible impact in the delicate ecosystem of the Baikal Lake. The garbage, chemical waste derived from the agriculture and the growing of stream of tourists as well as the creation of pulp and paper plants are damaging the largest fresh water reservoir of the Earth.

Because of the growing contamination, authorities are taken some measures to protect the lake; such as, forbidden the logging of timber and the timber’s transportation over the Baikal Lake. Several industries in the Buryat Republic have been converted to close cycle water system to stop the contamination and the population around the lake is educated in order to protect the natural environment. But, these politics are insufficient to combat against the threat over the Baikal Lake. Currently the two main pollution menaces are the Ulan- Ude town and the Baikal’s Pulp and Paper Factory.

The future of this wonder of the nature depends now of the decisions of our generation. It is our responsibility fighting for the preservation of places like the wonderful Lake Baikal.

Wonder: The Northern Red Sea
Country: Jordan
Region: Aqaba Governorate 
Visitable: Yes
About:

It is considered one of the best places of the world to do scuba diving, it is known also as the "Underwater Garden of Eden".

Wonder type: Underwater Wonder National Wonder

The Northern Red Sea is considered one of the most beautiful submarine paradises of the world. It is called sometimes an underwater “Garden of Eden” and is considered by CEDAM one of the seven Underwater Wonders of the World. The Red Sea is a salt water inlet of the Indian Ocean which is between Asia and Africa. This large natural channel is around 1900 Kilometers length, between 100 to 300 Kilometers breadth and about 500 meters depth. Its water sometimes turned a slightly red, due to the blooming of a particular kind of microorganisms known as “Red Algae” (Cyno-bacteria or Trichodesmium Erytreum). This also the reason of its name; since, it is a literal translation from the Greek phrase “Erythra Thalassa” that literally means Red Sea.

The Northern Red Sea Region is amongst the coasts of Jordan, Egypt, Israel, Saudi Arabia and Eritrea. The Northern Red Sea is surrounded by desert coasts, which are one of the world’s largest expanses of sand. Nevertheless, despite its desert superficial appearance, the Northern Red Sea hosts one of the most diverse and beautiful underwater ecosystems of the planet, since, this wonderful sea is the home of many beautiful corals formations and a wide range of exclusive fish varieties.

The Northern Red Sea is inhabited by 1000 different kinds of fish, more than 1000 species of invertebrates and around 400 different types of corals; almost 10% of these species are endemic. That means, they are found nowhere else. The great variety of life in the Northern Red Sea is due to the special environmental conditions that this ocean offers. The water of this sea is considered amongst the most saline of the world, with salinity rates that fluctuate between 3.6 and 3.8%. On the other hand, the tidal rate in the Northern Red Sea is 60 cm (1.6 feet). Besides, the system of underwater currents creates a delicate balance that generates a unique climate. The temperature of the Northern Red Sea region in summer is around 26ºC (79ºF), whereas the water average temperature is 22ºC (72ºF). These temperatures vary only 2 grades during the rest of the year. The Wind is also an important factor of the unique climate of the Northern Red Sea; the wind speed ranges between 7 kilometers/hour (4.3mph) and 12 Kilometers/hour (7.5 mph).

It calculates that there are around 2000 Kilometers (1240 miles) of corals in this underwater Eden, which is composed by several marine habitats such as salt pans, mangroves, salt marshes and sea grass. One of the most famous fish of the Northern Red Sea is the Bright Red Lionfish, whose dorsal spines are very poisonous, this fish live usually near the sea bottom, waiting to trap smaller fish in nooks and crannies. Other nice specimen that inhabits these waters is the triggerfish, which escapes when it is under threat, launching a jet of water; the anemones, the clown fish, dolphins, sharks, rays and eels are also very abundant in the Northern Red Sea. An important part of the Northern Red Sea ecosystem is protected by the Egyptian government in the Ras Mohamed National Park, which is on of the favorite places of the lovers of the scuba diving.

One of the most famous parts of the Northern Red Sea is the Gulf of Aqaba also known in Israel as the Gulf of Eilat. It is located at east of the Sinai Peninsula and at west of the Arabian mainland. Jordan Israel and Egypt have coastlines in this Gulf. Probably the most important port in this Gulf is Aqaba, one of the most important cities of Jordan, which has the same name of the famous Gulf. However, Eliat city in Israel and Taba in Egypt are also two important cities in the Aqaba Gulf. The three cities are used as base by most visitors that want to travel by the Northern Red Sea. Therefore, these cities offer a great variety of tourist services.

The Aqaba Gulf is one of the favorite places in the world for diving. This region is full of wonderful corals and great fish diversity. There also many shipwrecks, which provide an ideal habitat for marine organisms. Some Archeologists believe that the Gulf of Aqaba was the place where the sea was crossed by Moses during the famous biblical story of the Passage of the Red Sea of the Exodus Book; nevertheless, this theory was not yet proven.

HISTORY

The impressive diversity of life of the Northern Red Sea, has its origin 30 million years ago, when the Red Sea was closed at its southern end and open on its northern end, because of this fact it opened up into the Mediterranean Sea, therefore many Atlantic species arrived to the Red Sea and they prospered. Therefore, Red Sea hosts species from both Atlantic and Pacific Ocean.

The Lionfish a Symbol
of the Northern Red Sea

Most archeologists believe that Egyptians were the first to attempt a mission of exploration in the Red Sea; they explored the Red Sea in order to establish commercial routes to the east. This water mass has played an important role in the history of the region. According to the bible, it was the sea that Moses crossed when he fleeing from Egypt with his people. In the VI century BC the king Darius of Persia ordered an exploration mission in the Northern Red Sea. Alexander the Great also sent several expeditions to explore the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean. Many texts about navigation routes in the Red Sea were written by Egyptians, Greeks and other civilizations of the region in the Classic Age. The Periplus of the Erythrean Sea is probably the most famous text about this theme; it was written in the first century AD and relates a detailed description about the routes and ports in the Red Sea and talks about the first route to the India through the Red Sea.

In the Roman times, the Northern Red Sea had a great importance; since, it was the most important point in the route of the Roman trade with India. Nevertheless, in the III century AD the route to the east of Asia through the Red Sea was blocked by the Aksumite Empire. This fact caused the decline of the Northern Red Sea region as a commercial gateway.

The European interest by the Northern Red Sea revived in the XV century after the Renaissance. In 1798 during the French invasion in Egypt, one of the engineers of Napoleon, J.B Lepere devised the construction of a canal to connect the Mediterranean Sea with the Northern Red Sea. This idea derived some decades later in the construction of the famous Suez Canal. Which was inaugurated in November 1869 and it is still today an important point of the trade between Asia and Europe.

During most part of the XIX century and the first half of the XX century, the Northern Red Sea was controlled mainly by French, British and Italians. After the World War II, USA and the Soviet Union had a great influence in the Northern Sea region. Nevertheless, in 1967 the Suez Canal was closed for eight years, because of the Six Days War. This fact marked the end of the Northern Sea Red as the main route of trade between Asia and Europe. Today most ships use the route of the Cape to travel between both continents.

In 1983 thanks to the efforts of several environmentalists like the scientist Eugine Clark, the Egyptian government decided to create the Ras Mohamed National Park to protect the ecosystem of the Northern Red Sea. Now, the Northern Red Sea is one of the most famous diving destinations of the world. There are many recreational diving sites along the entire coastline that surrounded this aquatic paradise; such as Aqaba in Jordan, Sharm-El-Sheikh, Dahab and Taba in Egypt or Eilat in Israel. The Northern Red Sea is definitely one of the most beautiful and impressive underwater ecosystems of the world.