Day 2 (1/2/20):
Day two of our trip started out with a presentation by Haley about tourism, development, and conservation in the Galapagos. Haley’s presentation was very informative. Although I had done some reading about tourism in the islands I was surprised to learn that 34% of the tourists are Ecuadorians. However, this fact is not too shocking as the fee to enter the islands for Ecuadorian residents is only twenty U.S. dollars. I also learned that in the next year or so the fee for foreigners to visit will increase from $100 to $250. This is not only an effort to curb ecotourism but mainly to adjust for inflation. This fee has not increased since it was first initiated in 1993. In addition to a fee that helps conserve the wildlife on the islands, some regions are increasing sustainability initiatives. One example is the Baltra airport which runs on renewable energy. One of the main takeaways from Haley’s presentation was about the conservation efforts going on within the Galapagos. Many of the sustainability projects on the islands are small scale and localized. While these projects are helpful, there is an increasing need for large scale to make a big change to the overall environmental sustainability of the islands.
After Haley’s presentation, we got on a shuttle to JFK airport. The plane ride to Ecuador was about seven hours long. However, we were lucky enough to have a plane with WiFi so it seemed like a quick ride. Once the plane landed I couldn’t believe that we were in South America! In high school, I traveled to Central America but I have never been to Ecuador before. We got on a shuttle to our hotel and then got dinner. By this point in the day, it was about 10 pm but we were all starving. Although we had just sat on a plane all day we were all exhausted from traveling, but the day wasn’t over yet. As soon as dinner ended we headed back to the hotel for a brief presentation from Diego. Diego is from Cuenca in Ecuador and is our tour guide for the trip. His presentation included a lot of interesting information about the country. His presentation was broad however some unique facts were brought to my attention. There are marine reserves located in the water by the Galapagos. Fishing in these reserves is banned, yet the marine animal populations still are at risk and declining. This is because other countries will send fishing ships to the border of the marine reserves. Marine life follows ocean currents and does not Diego’s presentation was interesting and I am excited that he is our guide. Although it is just a first impression, I have the feeling that he is very knowledgeable and will be able to provide us with interesting “insider” information.
Day two of our trip started out with a presentation by Haley about tourism, development, and conservation in the Galapagos. Haley’s presentation was very informative. Although I had done some reading about tourism in the islands I was surprised to learn that 34% of the tourists are Ecuadorians. However, this fact is not too shocking as the fee to enter the islands for Ecuadorian residents is only twenty U.S. dollars. I also learned that in the next year or so the fee for foreigners to visit will increase from $100 to $250. This is not only an effort to curb ecotourism but mainly to adjust for inflation. This fee has not increased since it was first initiated in 1993. In addition to a fee that helps conserve the wildlife on the islands, some regions are increasing sustainability initiatives. One example is the Baltra airport which runs on renewable energy. One of the main takeaways from Haley’s presentation was about the conservation efforts going on within the Galapagos. Many of the sustainability projects on the islands are small scale and localized. While these projects are helpful, there is an increasing need for large scale to make a big change to the overall environmental sustainability of the islands.
After Haley’s presentation, we got on a shuttle to JFK airport. The plane ride to Ecuador was about seven hours long. However, we were lucky enough to have a plane with WiFi so it seemed like a quick ride. Once the plane landed I couldn’t believe that we were in South America! In high school, I traveled to Central America but I have never been to Ecuador before. We got on a shuttle to our hotel and then got dinner. By this point in the day, it was about 10 pm but we were all starving. Although we had just sat on a plane all day we were all exhausted from traveling, but the day wasn’t over yet. As soon as dinner ended we headed back to the hotel for a brief presentation from Diego. Diego is from Cuenca in Ecuador and is our tour guide for the trip. His presentation included a lot of interesting information about the country. His presentation was broad however some unique facts were brought to my attention. There are marine reserves located in the water by the Galapagos. Fishing in these reserves is banned, yet the marine animal populations still are at risk and declining. This is because other countries will send fishing ships to the border of the marine reserves. Marine life follows ocean currents and does not Diego’s presentation was interesting and I am excited that he is our guide. Although it is just a first impression, I have the feeling that he is very knowledgeable and will be able to provide us with interesting “insider” information.