Back in May, with the help of a former guest, we launched a fund-raising effort in support of the crew and support staff of the Samba - a 14 passenger ship we charter regularly for our "ACTIVE GALAPAGOS" trip.  

COVID-19 was a terrible blow to the island economy.  Most of the dollars flowing into the islands come from tourism.  With tourism at a standstill, and with meagre government support, the road ahead did not look bright for island residents.  

Laura Sebastianelli, a former guest, approached us with the idea of organizing a fund raiser.   It took us a while to put it together, but once launched, it quickly raised over $54,000 (with a bit of support from another company that uses the Samba).  

We were very impressed by the enthusiasm.  Some participants had travelled over 10 years ago - and a few were booked on a trip later this year.    

The Samba's owners (they did not receive any of the funds raised) asked the crew and staff to say a few words of thanks on video.   My son, Emile Patry, took the raw footage and assembled a bit of a summary video of the campaign.  It starts with some text explaining the background, continues on with the videos of thanks from the Samba team, and ends with pictures and words submitted by those who contributed.    

To see the video, click here.

Tourism remains very anemic in Galapagos.  While the national park is open, and while some ships are tentatively starting to sail again, there remain very few people showing up.   To enter Ecuador and Galapagos, all you need is a negative RT-PCR COVID test taken within 4 days of your entry into the islands.  However, for many, the current pandemic climate is not conducive to a return to normal.  Those that are less risk averse are likely to benefit from some of the best prices in a long time during these uncertain times.