Both the natural and human history of the Galapagos
Archipelago have been closely connected to the sea. The
islands were first discovered by Europeans in 1535 as a
consequence of the near-shipwreck of the Spanish
Bishop Tomas de Berlanga on a voyage from Panama to
Peru. Bahıa Naufragio (Wreck Bay), the embayment
surrounding the administrative capital and main fishing
port for Galapagos (Puerto Baquerizo Moreno), provided
the location for the most recent shipwreck, when
the oil tanker Jessica ran aground on January 16th 2001.
This vessel became stranded on a rocky reef approximately
1km offshore from the town centre while carrying
bunker C and diesel oil. The cargo remained intact
for two days before cracks developed in the hull and oil
began leaking into the ocean. Overall, a total of nearly
400 tonnes of diesel and 300 tonnes of bunker oil were
lost.