1 Description of the area
Clasification Society 2024 - Version 9.40
Statutory Documents - IMO Publications and Documents - Resolutions - Marine Environment Protection Committee - Resolution MEPC.135(53) - Designation of the Galapagos Archipelago as a Particularly Sensitive Sea Area - (Adopted on 22 July 2005) - Annex 1 - Description of the Galapagos Archpelago Particularly Sensitive Sea Area - 1 Description of the area

1 Description of the area

  1.1 The Galapagos Archipelago is a group of islands of volcanic origin, located 502 nautical miles west of the Ecuadorean coast between latitude 02° 00' N, longitude 087° 30' W, and latitude 02° 24' S, longitude 093° 30' W. They are crossed by the Equator line at the Wolf and Ecuador volcanoes on Isabela Island. The total surface area of the Galapagos Islands is 8,006 km2. The distance from Darwin Island in the north to Española Island in the south is 414 km, and from Pitt Point (San Cristóbal) to Cape Douglas (Fernandina) 268 km. The Archipelago comprises five islands greater than 500 km2 (Isabela, Santa Cruz, Fernandina, San Salvador and San Cristóbal); 8 islands between 14 and 173 km2 (Santa Maria, Marchena, Genovesa, Española, Pinta, Baltra, Santa Fe and Pinzón); 6 islands between 1 and 5 km2 (Rábida, Baltra, Wolf, Tortuga, Bartolomé and Darwin); 42 islets smaller than 1 km2, and 26 rocks. The largest island, Isabela, with an area of 4,588 km2, is divided in two by the Perry Isthmus, the northern part covering 2,112 km2 and the southern 2, 476 km2. Isabela has the islands' highest point, namely the summit of Wolf Volcano, at 1,707 m.

  1.2 The area of the PSSA is defined by a line connecting the following geographical positions:

(1) 02° 30'.02 N 092° 21'.27 W
(2) 02° 14'.20 N 091° 40'.02 W
(3) 01° 14'.15 N 090° 25'.75 W
(4) 00° 53'.24 N 089° 30'.03 W
(5) 00° 35'.38 S 088° 38'.59 W
(6) 00° 52'.00 S 088° 33'.59 W
(7) 01° 59'.01 S 089° 12'.87 W
(8) 02° 05'.01 S 089° 33'.70 W
(9) 02° 01'.43 S 090° 34'.53 W
(10) 01° 32'.28 S 091° 51'.89 W
(11) 01° 13'.08 S 092° 07'.08 W
(12) 01° 48'.88 N 092° 40'.36 W

  1.3 A nautical chart showing the PSSA and the area to be avoided is provided in Annex 2.

Parent topic: Annex 1 - Description of the Galapagos Archpelago Particularly Sensitive Sea Area
Copyright 2022 Clasifications Register Group Limited, International Maritime Organization, International Labour Organization or Maritime and Coastguard Agency. All rights reserved. Clasifications Register Group Limited, its affiliates and subsidiaries and their respective officers, employees or agents are, individually and collectively, referred to in this clause as 'Clasifications Register'. Clasifications Register assumes no responsibility and shall not be liable to any person for any loss, damage or expense caused by reliance on the information or advice in this document or howsoever provided, unless that person has signed a contract with the relevant Clasifications Register entity for the provision of this information or advice and in that case any responsibility or liability is exclusively on the terms and conditions set out in that contract.