I spent a week in Galapagos between July 20 and 27, 2008. Galapagos is a very special place indeed- the genesis of Darwin's theory of evolution, and the most pritine tropical archipelago in the world. Fortunately, 97% of the land area is part of the Galapagos National Park, and 95% of its native wildlife is said to be still intact. On the other hand, increasing numbers of tourists, an influx of Ecuadoreans from the mainland, and illegal fishing are all putting pressure on these, The Enchanted Isles.Although my eight day cruise in this fabled region was essentially a pleasure trip, I am hoping to eventually be of service there, helping the region prevent and prepare for oil spills such as the Jessica incident which beset the islands in 2001. The Galapagos National Park reportedly received over $3 million US in compensation for that spill recently, and since the Islands were designated a World Heritage Site in Danger by UNESCO in 2007, the hope is that the authorities will reinvest some of the proceeds from that award to prevention of and preparation for similar incidents in the future.
Galapagos was also designated a Particularly Sensitive Sea Area ( PSSA ) by the International Maritime Organization ( IMO ) in 2005 on the understanding that Ecuador would take measures within two years to reflect that status.
Meanwhile, Travel + Leisure magazine recently declared Galapagos the world's best island travel designation, ironic given UNESCO's warning that the archipelago's future is in danger. Also bear in mind that the 1991 Jessica oil spill mentioned above involved a tanker that was supplying fuel to the cruise ships plying the area's waters. On the positive side, Ecuador will require tankers in the Galapagos trade to be double-hulled by the end of 2009. Also, a $4 million grant is creating a wind energy farm on Galapagos, resulting in an anticipated drop of 50% in bunker fuel imports to the region for electricity generation.
One of my guides on the trip was Mike Jackson, the noted Galapagos expert, whose book, Galapagos: a Natural History, is a perennial bestseller. For people who would like to learn more about Galapagos, watch the recent, three part BBC DVD on the subject, with its accompanying coffee table book by Patrick Stewart et al.
