Santiago Island
Galápagos is one of those very special places on earth, and all of us who work here pretty much know that. One of the most rewarding experiences for us naturalists is to pass along not only the knowledge but the feeling that we care and that everybody should take care of this place, too. This is a relatively easy job, sort of, since the islands create the perfect atmosphere for any visitors that set foot on its land.
The efforts made to maintain the islands as pristine as they were back in the late seventeen and eighteen hundreds are tremendous. These are created and supported by many different institutions around the world that believe in conservation as the only way to save our planet. I know that this statement sounds a little “too much,” or maybe for some people it even sounds corny, but that does not mean that it is not true.
Santiago Island is the perfect example of those efforts. Back in the day, more than one hundred thousand goats walked freely all over the island devastating unfortunately the ecosystem. Their behavior (eating and competing for vegetation with giant tortoises and destroying the eggs laid on the nesting grounds) was typical of any of those introduce species any where in the world. Luckily, the care came along with well managed tourism, and the results are visible. The island of Santiago is no longer threatened by goats or feral pigs. The donations and gifts that visitors had given to the islands are proving to be the most successful way to eradicate introduced species. Lindblad Expeditions is a big part of it, and the donations given by our guests are estimated to be as much as three million dollars since the M/S Polaris, our flag ship down here in Galápagos, made her first appearance in these waters. Nowadays, the M/S Islander joined the cause, and pretty soon (hopefully) more and more companies would join the efforts. The example has been set, the challenge has been laid, and now it is only up to responsible companies to take that challenge and join the efforts so we can enjoy this paradise for a long, long time…
Galápagos is one of those very special places on earth, and all of us who work here pretty much know that. One of the most rewarding experiences for us naturalists is to pass along not only the knowledge but the feeling that we care and that everybody should take care of this place, too. This is a relatively easy job, sort of, since the islands create the perfect atmosphere for any visitors that set foot on its land.
The efforts made to maintain the islands as pristine as they were back in the late seventeen and eighteen hundreds are tremendous. These are created and supported by many different institutions around the world that believe in conservation as the only way to save our planet. I know that this statement sounds a little “too much,” or maybe for some people it even sounds corny, but that does not mean that it is not true.
Santiago Island is the perfect example of those efforts. Back in the day, more than one hundred thousand goats walked freely all over the island devastating unfortunately the ecosystem. Their behavior (eating and competing for vegetation with giant tortoises and destroying the eggs laid on the nesting grounds) was typical of any of those introduce species any where in the world. Luckily, the care came along with well managed tourism, and the results are visible. The island of Santiago is no longer threatened by goats or feral pigs. The donations and gifts that visitors had given to the islands are proving to be the most successful way to eradicate introduced species. Lindblad Expeditions is a big part of it, and the donations given by our guests are estimated to be as much as three million dollars since the M/S Polaris, our flag ship down here in Galápagos, made her first appearance in these waters. Nowadays, the M/S Islander joined the cause, and pretty soon (hopefully) more and more companies would join the efforts. The example has been set, the challenge has been laid, and now it is only up to responsible companies to take that challenge and join the efforts so we can enjoy this paradise for a long, long time…
