The riches of the Galapagos were something
the survivors of the Essex could only fantasise about.
One month into their ordeal,
and still adrift in the Desolate Region,
they were slowly starving.
What the sailors didn't know
was that the endless blue hides a secret.
At dusk,
huge areas of otherwise empty ocean are transformed.
Squid shoot up from the depths to feed near the surface.
Surprisingly,
there are more squid in the ocean than fish
and they take part in the greatest migration
of animals on the Earth.
Every night,
a world of creatures rise up
from the depths to dine on the small amounts of surface plankton.
They are among the strangest-looking life forms on our planet.
In this dark world,
some are see-through,
perhaps for camouflage.
Some create their own light
to communicate or lure in their prey.
Others form inexplicable alliances.
This young slipper lobster
may be using this jelly as a buoyancy aid.