Paradise lost

South America » Ecuador » Galápagos
July 29th 2007

Published: September 5th 2007

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M E L

Deep in thought

The old man stood in the classic catalogue pose. One foot on a rock, one hand on his hip. Ensconed in his whites, his ankle socks were pulled tight against his calves, a long way from the bottom of his shorts. His hat was perched at a cocky angle and the shirt tucked tightly in.

He was creased and weathered from a life outdoors and his tanned skin had never seen the touch of suncream. His eyes were small and amongst his wrinkled face his features were not unlike a tortoise.

He took a deep breath and steadied himself. With a sigh he began to speak, his arms spreading to indicate the sights around him ¨´Well, welcome to the Galapagos. Thirty years ago, this place was paradise. But now.....´´ He left the sentence unfinished. The deflated shrug of his shoulders and wry smile said it all.

Cesar was 69 years old and was born and raised on the island. One of the top naturalist guides he knew all there was to know about the islands and the wonderful endemic species that inhabit them.

His head was full of wonderous knowledge yet it acould sometimes be a little

Mr Iguana

elusive. Whether it was a touch of alzheimers, too much sun or a languge barrier, his leftfield answers became the highlight of the 8 day voyage.

Q. What is the mating cycle of the blue footed boobie?
A. Yes, my house is two blocks back from the beach. Its very lovely there.

Q. How often do sea lions eat?
A. Yes well you can get many nice cocktails from the bar on the island. Perhaps you would like to try the caprinha?

Q. When was the last volcano eruption?
A. I think there might be some penguins out today. Yes, I think we might see some penguins.

Blessed with warm charm and a generous sense of humour you couldn´t falt his little slips and on a good day, his answers were downright hysterical.

More importantly Cesar imparted upon us the impact that tourism is having on the fragile ecosystem. Hence his opening reference to a paradise lost. When people first began to visit the islands, only a few boats were in operation with no more than 6 passenger each. Now, there are over 100 boats visiting the islands daily, from 6 man boats to some

Hello!

that unleash over 90 passengers.

Tourists trample the Iguana eggs that lay buried beneath the stones and step on bird eggs that have been laid near the path. They scare mothers from their nests so that they abandon their young and force sea lions to make a rapid exit into the sea, injuring themselves on the rocks.

Pollution and illegal fishing is a misdemeanor of the local operators but has come about in response to the demands of tourism. The introduction of foreign animals such as dogs, cats, pigs and goats has seen the demise of many endemic species and radical plans (such as shooting them from a helicopter) are now underway to eradicate all non endemic species from the islands. Along with humans perhaps?

There are of course many wonderful animals to see and despite current corruption and illegal practices efforts are being made to protect the islands and the animals. Recent discussions are leaning towards an increase in the park entry price from $100 to $1000. It seems unfair to limit this natural wonder to the rich and it's doubtful that all that money would find its way to a good cause. Perhaps a better