In 1934, seeing the need to protect the unique environment of the Galapagos, the National Assembly of Ecuador passed protective legislation and created wildlife sanctuaries on some of the islands. Then, in 1959, as 95% of the islands and 50,000 sq miles of surrounding ocean was granted protection, an organization of scientists and conservationists established the Charles Darwin Foundation and the Charles Darwin Research Center, which officially opened in 1964. Four years later, the Galapagos National Park Service was formed. UNESCO to place the Galapagos Islands on the World Heritage List in 1978, thereby bringing significant international pressure towards safeguarding this unique environment.
The aim of the Galapagos National Park is to preserve the islands’ unique and delicate environment. Upon entering the islands, visitors must pay a US$100 entry fee, some of which goes to the Ecuadorian Government and some of which goes to the park. To further protect the islands from the impact of tourism, visitors are restricted access to the islands to 50 visitor sites in addition to towns and public areas. Almost all of these sites are reached by boats which land on rocky or sandy beaches – there are few docks. Sometimes you have to get out of the boat and wade a few feet to the shore. Visitors must also have a qualified guide, which accompany every boat, when they enter visitor sites. These guides can be a valuable source of information about the wildlife and history, as well as ensuring that visitors do not harm the wildlife or wander off trails. Although there are around 500 or so registered guides on the Galapagos, only about 100 are active.
For a list of the Galapagos National Park rules click on IGTOA |
