Galapagos Newsletter

15 Day Itineraries in the Galapagos Islands

During the meeting that took place on March 3, 2010 in the Galapagos Islands with the presence of the authorities of the Galapagos National Park, the Minister of Tourism, the Minister of Environment and Galapagos operators, it was decided that the implementation of the 15-day itineraries proposed by the Galapagos National Park will become effective on January 1st,  2012 (not 2011 as was the original proposal). 

This will give ample time to re-arrange the itineraries of our vessels, yachts and catamarans operating in the Galapagos, so that visits to the same site are not repeated during a 15-day period, for a better handling of the "load factor" of each visitor site.    During the next six months, itineraries and duration of each program will be defined. 

Guests visiting the Galapagos Islands on expedition cruises, once the new itineraries have been estaclished for 2012, will still have the option of taking 7-night programs or even shorter itineraries –depending on the instructions issued by the Galapagos National Park in this regard.

Tortoise Release Part of Pinta Island Restoration

Team of Veterinarians Prepare Hybrid Tortoises for Release on Pinta Island in 2010

In November 2009, a group of veterinarians, working with the Galapagos National Park (GNP), prepared 39 hybrid tortoises slated to be the pioneer group to initiate the return of tortoises to Pinta Island. Project Pinta is a multi-year project aimed at the restoration of the island following the successful eradication of goats on Pinta in 2003. While complete island restoration will require the eventual repopulation of Pinta with a reproductive tortoise population, scientists and managers are awaiting the final results from genetic analyses of a massive sampling of tortoises before making the final selection of which tortoises to use.

READ MORE

The Galápagos in finals of global contest New 7 Wonders of Nature

Ecuador's amazing Galapagos Islands, the impressive Iguazú Falls in Argentina and Brazil and the mighty Amazon Rainforest (shared by 9 Latin American countries) are among the 28 finalists in the New 7 Wonders of Nature contest. The finalists were announced on July 21st, and in the next two years, experts will tour the sites to determine the 7 winners in 2011.

Other Latin America wonders that made the finals are El Yunque in Puerto Rico and Angel Falls in Venezuela.

The New 7 Wonders campaign was started by Bernard Weber, a Swiss filmmaker and entrepreneur, with the aim of promoting cultural diversity and preserving natural sites. The 28 finalists were chosen by a panel of experts that included Federico Mayor, former chief of UNESCO, and Rex Weyler, co-founder of Greenpeace International.

Your vote will make a difference! Voting has now resumed in order to choose the definitive New 7 Wonders of Nature, please click at the bottom to vote for Galapagos and the Amazon Rainforest.