In all of its wisdom (and back-room sleight of hand), an obscure organization called "World Travel Awards" (whose website provides no information whatsoever on who is behind it / who owns it) has awarded the "best beach destination in South America" to Galapagos this year.   It is amazing how the organization's "best X" awards rotate nicely from one place to another every year - as if a beach (or other category) can only be best for one year and no longer.  It would be nice to be able to "follow the money" at World Travel Awards.

CNH Tours dismisses these awards as self-serving hype.  There is no criteria against which "best beaches" and other categories are considered; there zero transparency on the decision-making process.  The process lends itself to all forms of influence peddling and clientelism.  

Though there are some very nice beaches in Galapagos, the islands are not a beach destination.  People don't go all the way there partake in beach type tourism.  You can get a lot more "beach bang" for your buck elsewhere. Cancun is a beach destination; Punta del Este is a beach destination.  Galapagos is a beach destination like Paris is a canoeing destination. These awards trivialize what Galapagos is all about and commodify what is otherwise an ecosystem unique at the planetary level. 

I get automatic notifications of seismic activity readings in Galapagos - and yesterday, a 4.1 earthquake was recorded between Fernandina and Isabela Islands (this part of the archipelago is under the "hot spot" in the Earth's mantle and it's on that side of the islands that volcanic eruptions usually occur).   I did think to myself "hmmmm... perhaps there will be an eruption somewhere...".   Today, on my Facebook account, I saw a post from our long time friend Gabriela Bohorquez (naturalist guide on duty on the western shores) with the following picture, saying: "Finally, at the right place and at the right time:  The eruption of "La Cumbre" volcano today".

(translated - thanks to Google - and adapted from the article that appeared in the El Comercio newspaper on Sunday, 27 August 2017).

The announcement was made by Lorena Tapia, president of the Galápagos Government Council, in her Twitter account. "Judge sentenced for environmental crime to Chinese boat crew: prison and fine payment," she wrote at 20:00 on August 27, 2017.

Also on Twitter Environment Minister Tarsicio Hail wrote: "Zero tolerance for environmental crimes! From 1 to 4 years in prison for various crew members and more than USD 5 million in fines."

The official also said that the court determined that the ship "goes to the Galapagos National Park service" and said that the fine is USD 5.9 million as compensation.

Walter Bustos, director of the Galapagos National Park, told El Comercio that the ruling "has just created a legal precedent for Ecuador, for Galapagos, for the whole world." He said that as part of the sanction the Chinese vessel Fu Yuan Yu Leng 999 will be seized. This, plus the penalty of deprivation of liberty and the fine are "an opportunity for the life of marine migratory species".

In a communiqué issued last night, the Ministry of the Environment assured that the criminal confiscation of the vessel will be in charge of Real Estate and will be "for the benefit of the population of Galápagos, in case of being auctioned the value of the sale will reach the Park National Galápagos."

Bustos explained that "what is happening is that there is a fleet in the Pacific" that has been in places like Baja California and Argentina. "Now it was us, with the difference that here we act with all the rigor of the law and with all the transparency of the case. That is why we have this ruling today. "He also stressed that with the decision of the judge sits" the sovereignty of Ecuador ... in an issue of defense for our natural resources."

The ruling, according to the MAE, "was determined by the evidence found inside the Chinese vessel, which included the holding and transport of protected species (sharks) within the Galapagos Marine Reserve, an offense established in Article 247 of the Organic Code Integral Penal ". This Sunday, August 27, 2017 was the third day of hearing against the 20 Asian crew of the Fu Yuan Yu Leng 999, captured while sailing through the Galapagos Marine Reserve. Judge Alexandra Arroyo was in charge of the process. Earlier, the Directorate of the Galapagos National Park reported that the freighter carried more than 6 620 sharks in its hold. The Park and the Ministry of the Environment acted as private accusers.

It was also heard today that the nearly 300 tonnes of fishing found in the hold of the Asian ship were received from two Taiwanese vessels: the Hai Fang 301 and the Hai Fang 302. According to the crew, the transshipment took place between the August 5 and 7, more than a thousand kilometers northwest of the Galapagos. The ship was captured by the Ecuadorian Navy on August 13, near San Cristóbal Island. "It was also possible to determine, according to the captains' versions, that the vessel entered unauthorizedly into the Galapagos Marine Reserve, bound for Peru, and then returned to China," Galapagos National Park reported in a statement .

The accusation of the Office of the Prosecutor and of the Park's Management was based on the transportation and possession of protected species, an offense stipulated in article 247 of the Integrated Criminal Code (COIP). In addition, the freighter was not allowed to drive through this protected area. Hammer, silky, fox, pelagic fox and maiko are the species of sharks found in the refrigerators of the Fu Yuan Yu Leng 999. They were heaped and some already without fins, as determined the inspection. The management of the Galapagos National Park has already developed several actions within the case, such as the process of destruction of the first eight tons of fishing, between 21 and 22 August. And it managed the delivery of the ship to the Navy, in operation and with the freezers lit to avoid contamination by the decomposition of the fishing.

Ecuador will seek US$36 billion in damages caused to the Galapagos Marine Reserve (a World Heritage site) as part of its case against the owners of the Fu Yuan Leng 999, which was caught illegally crossing the Marine Reserve, with 300 tonnes of fish in its holds (including a large number of sharks) earlier this month. 

The case has made headlines around the world, while in Ecuador, both locals in Galapagos and on the continent have organized rallies against illegal fishing.  Thanks to satellite monitoring of fishing vessels, this case has brought to light the fact that massive fishing fleets are operating in international waters, just outside the Galapagos Marine Reserve, hoping to scoop up fish that move outside its boundaries.

Anti fishing rally in Galapagos last week (Galapagos National Park photo)

According to local media, the Fu Yuan Leng 999 is one of a fleet of 300 cargo ships that is operating around the marine reserve, each attended to by up to 30 small fishing vessels.  These small ships travel up to 30 km away from it, fill their smaller holds with fish, and bring them back to the mother "cargo vessel" for refrigerated storage, only to head back out again.   They can enter the reserve undetected.

Ecuadorian authorities claim that this fleet is responsible for impoverishing biodiversity in Galapagos.  Currently, 20 crew members of the Fu Yuan Leng 999 are being in held in Galapagos for the trial that started this past Friday. 

CNH Tours hopes this case will shed light on the massive amount of uncontrolled fishing taking place in the high seas fishing, particularly close to marine reserves and strengthen efforts at bringing sustainable fishing practices throughout the industry.  To be taken seriously, Ecuador will have to show that it is also just as tough with illegal fishing taking place by its own fleet.  

Five years ago, an enterprising business person obtained a permit from the municipality of Puerto Ayora (the main town in Galapagos) to build a house on the “other side”, that part of town accessible only by water taxi.   The other side is the sleepy / quiet side of Puerto Ayora – it currently boasts a few dozen houses, a restaurant and one hotel (the Finch Bay hotel – built long ago).   As the construction of the house began, residents became suspicious.  It soon became obvious that this was not going to be a house, but a hotel.  The construction showed about 20 rooms, each with private bathrooms.   The developer hoped to use an old trick:  i) Get a cheap and easy building permit for a house, ii) build a hotel very quickly (which would not have been allowed in that part of town to start with), and ii) deal with any criticism the usual way, including most likely a few bribes at the right places and arguing that it was a misunderstanding, but now that it is built, we might pay a small fine and start operating.  (story continues after picture)

House or hotel - what do you think?

Unfortunately for the developer, Galapagos residents soon became aware of what was happening, and they raised a ruckus.   The project became the poster child for anti-corruption champions, for conservationists and contributed to the growing resentment felt by citizens feeling that the rich and powerful had a whole different set of rules applied to them.   The case was even reported to the United Nations.  

The developer was hoping to catch the “land based tourism” wave that started in Galapagos 15 years ago, showing no sign of abatement yet.   While only about 5,000 visitors came to Galapagos with no intention of taking a cruise in the late 1990’s, that number is now nearing 200,000.    The pressure to take advantage of this growing economic opportunity translated into a lot of unregulated development (hotels, bars, restaurants, rooming houses, day trip operators).   Government authorities have been playing catch up for years, forever being behind the ball.  While some progress has been made in terms of regulation / safety / management, there is still no vision on how things should go from here, with numbers continuing to increase.

As for our hotel owner, his project was stopped by authorities.  They didn’t have him tear it down (what many people wanted) but opted to call for a full environment Impact study.   That study was presented to Galapagos residents yesterday and feedback will be possible over the next few weeks.    Let’s see what happens.

A feeling of nausea is what I first experienced when I learned about the contents of a Chinese vessel caught fishing in Galapagos waters.  Possibly over 10,000 shark carcasses.  It's a wake up call to those who think that such things getting under control.   Let's hope the Chinese government will NOT interfere with the judicial process here.  PLEASE SHARE THIS NEWS ITEM.   I copy paste the excellent National Geographic article below:

By Rachael Bale

PUBLISHED August 15, 2017

On Sunday marine ecologist Pelayo Salinas was on his way back from a 12-day research mission on a Galápagos National Park patrol ship when at 6 a.m. the captain spotted a vessel on the radar. Access to these waters is restricted, so they radioed the vessel to find out what it was up to.

No response. Salinas, who works with the Charles Darwin Foundation (Editor’s note: CNH Tours’ Marc Patry is an elected member of the CDF’s governing council), and an Ecuadorian Navy officer who was also on board tried again. Still no response. They warned the vessel that the law requires them to respond. Silence.

Then Salinas and three others jumped in a 13-foot inflatable boat that had been donated to the park and took chase. They’d identified the vessel as Chinese and strongly suspected it was involved in illegal fishing.

The vessel was intercepted about 40 miles northeast of the island of San Cristóbal.

This part of Galápagos National Park—a marine sanctuary where absolutely no fishing is allowed—has the greatest abundance of sharks in the world.  It’s this that has made these waters a target of fishermen looking to supply Asian markets with shark fin and shark meat. Worldwide, shark populations are declining, with more than a quarter of sharks and related species considered to be threatened with extinction.

Their little boat, a Zodiac, wasn’t designed for hot pursuit, however, and they weren’t able to catch up. They abandoned the chase and reported the Chinese boat to headquarters.

Later that day a navy helicopter and coast guard boat were dispatched. They caught up with the ship, a China-flagged vessel called Fu Yuan Yu Leng 999. What they found stunned them.

The Fu Yuan Leng 999 (credit: Ecuadorian armed forces)

The Ecuadorian Navy tweeted aerial photos of the ship just before capture.

“There were thousands, if not tens of thousands, of sharks,” Salinas says. “This is going to be historic. The biggest seizure of sharks in the history of the Galápagos, for sure.”

The crew of 20 have been arrested, and the Ecuadorian authorities are planning a full accounting of the ship’s inventory. It’s illegal to cross the marine sanctuary’s waters without a permit, and it’s also illegal to catch, trade, or transport sharks there. Authorities do not yet know where the fish were caught, according to a statement from Ecuador’s Ministry of Environment.   

Galapagos National Park staff inspecting the illegal shark catch - your $100 park entrance fee at work. (credit: Galapagos National Park Service)

Pelayo suspects the vessel is a “mothership,” or reefer, which collects fish from smaller fishing boats, allowing them to stay out at sea longer. It’s more than 300 feet long with six cargo bays, several of which were completely full, he says. The ship’s log says there are about 300 tons of fish on board, according to the statement. Salinas himself hasn’t been on board yet, but in photos of the holds he identified endangered scalloped hammerheads and silky sharks, as well as tuna.

CAUGHT BY PURE CHANCE

“Sadly, this is day-to-day business on the ocean,” Salinas says. “There are thousands of these ships roaming the waters.”

The incident highlights the ongoing problem of illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing that occurs even in the world’s most protected waters.

It was pure chance that the vessel was caught, Salinas says. For some reason (likely by accident, he suspects), it had its AIS—an automatic tracking system used by all ships—turned on. Ships engaging in illegal activity, for obvious reasons, turn them off. That likely lapse helped law enforcement track the vessel down.

Despite its high-profile status in the tourism and scientific worlds, Galapagos National Park doesn’t have all the resources it needs to protect the ecosystem.

“Resources are limited,” Salinas says. “The bad guys are every day making more money. Patrolling is expensive, especially for a county that is in economic crisis.” He points to the Zodiac as an example. If they’d had a proper boat intended for law enforcement, they could have caught up with the vessel when they first spotted it.

The arrested crew could face up to three years in prison, and conservationists are hoping this case will be aggressively pursued. China is Ecuador’s largest creditor, providing some 60 percent of the government’s funding, and critics have accused Ecuador of being lenient with China when it comes to protection of timber and other natural resources in the Amazon rain forest.

At a press conference today, Ecuador’s Minister of the Environment, Tarsicio Granizo, said the government is committed to doing so. “Our policy is zero tolerance for the transport and trafficking of protected wildlife,” he said.

The UK based Galapagos Conservation Trust holds an annual Galapagos photo contest.  The BBC covered the winners in a recent article.  Click here to see it. 

We agree with the #1 selection - it's our favourite as well.   A tiny delicate Galapagos storm petrel skips over the sea, held aloft by the slightest breeze, picking up any tidbit it can find.  So fragile, yet so robust.    Our CNH Tours artist, Magno Bennett, captured a very similar scene in one of his paintings, the one we use on our "CONTACT" page.  You can compare the two below.

Photo by:  McKenna Paulley

Our "CONTACT" page banner (Magno Bennett)

This article appeared in the New Yorker recently - explaining how biological control might be the best way to deal with the Philornis downsi parasitic fly (introduced accidentally to Galapagos years ago),which lays eggs in birds' nests, and whose larvae feed on chicks, most often killing them.   It's not a pretty story, and it's one that the Darwin Foundation has been working on as well.   It's also a good example of how apparently harmless organisms (in this case, what looks very much like a house fly) can be responsible for the extinction of iconic species.   Cross your fingers!

Click here to read the New Yorker article. 

Below, three Philornis downsi larvae feed on a Galapagos finch chick (thank you to the Darwin Foundation for the picture)

2017 is the 150th anniversary of Canada's confederation, when separate provinces agreed to join together under one political entity.   Ottawa has been celebrating in style, and one of the many ways it has been doing so is the "Ottawa Welcomes the World" series of national days held in the city.   Ecuador day is on 11 August.    The embassy of Ecuador in Ottawa turned to CNH Tours to make a presentation on the Galapagos Islands on that day.  

We are very honored to accept that invitation and look forward to meeting people interested in one of our planet's most iconic wilderness areas.

This is the 2nd time we present to Ottawa audiences (this is not a sales pitch, but rather an introduction to Galapagos for the beginner, with extensive Q&A sessions afterwards).   We'd love to present in your neighbourhood as well - assuming you don't live too far...

For more information, click here.

Our 18 year old son, Émile, arrived in Galapagos yesterday to start his 6 week volunteership with the Charles Darwin Station's communication team.  He'll be helping our former colleague, Paola Diaz in the creation of new communications videos.   Émile was born in Quito and spent the first 3 years of his life in the islands.  He learned how to walk on lava rocks. 

Since he was 12 or 13, Émile displayed an interest in video production and edition.  He was accepted into his high school's Artistic Excellence Centre, allowing him to pursue his interest there over the past 2 years.   We hope he'll be able to apply his skills to help further the Darwin Station's objectives.

Apart from his regular volunteer responsibilities, we have asked Émile to get to know the islands and the people and to improve his Spanish language capabilities.  In his spare time, we've also asked that he say hello to many of our partners - hotel, restaurant and ship owners.    

As a token of our appreciation, Émile brought down with him a new iMac computer to help with the Darwin Station's communication efforts (scroll down for picture).

Enjoy your summer Émile!

PS:  Here is the Darwin Station Director's "thank you" email:

From: Arturo Izurieta [mailto:arturo.izurieta@...
Sent: July-19-17 9:41 AM
To: Heather Blenkiron <hblenkiron@cnhtours.com>
Subject: Thanking you so much

 Dear Marc and Heather,

With this letter I send my sincere thanks on behalf of the entire CDF team for your very kind donation of both the computer and Emile’s stay with us here at the Research Station.

It’s a great joy to have Emile here working with us and we look forward to his contribution to our work and success. The CDF is expanding once more, with the corresponding need for additional resources, and so this donation of equipment is a tremendous help, in particular for the growing communications team.

Once more, from all of us here in Galapagos, thank you for your generosity and support. We look forward to seeing you in November!

Un abrazo,

Arturo Izurieta V, Ph.D
Director Ejecutivo / Executive Director
Fundación Charles Darwin para las Islas Galápagos
Charles Darwin Foundation for the Galapagos Islands
www.darwinfoundation.org

Émile (2nd from left), Paola (left) and the communications team at the Darwin Station, showing off the newly installed iMac yesterday.

We are pleased to report that on the 20^th of June, Marc Patry (co-owner of CNH Tours with Heather Blenkiron) was elected to the board of directors of the Travel Industry Council of Ontario (TICO).   Of the 15 positions on this board, only 3 are elected by the 2,400 travel agencies in Ontario, who are obligated to be registered under TICO.  All the others are appointed by either the Minister of Government and Consumer Services of Ontario or by industry associations. 

TICO is an organization mandated by the Ontario government to administer the laws and regulations governing travel agencies with offices in Ontario, ranging from small home-based internet agencies (like CNH Tours) to the much larger corporate entities such as Carlson Wagonlit and Expedia Cruise Ship Centers.  In addition, TICO administers an industry-financed Travel Compensation Fund.

Besides attending and contributing to overall TICO governance issues during regular board meetings, the position requires engagement in various working committees.  It will be a busy time for the next three years.

Thanks to "El Telegrafo" daily paper in Ecuador and Google Translate for the following:

We can't guarantee you'll have this opportunity - but some of you will.  Our son was in the Galapagos on the Samba (this was already 2 years ago), and the ship came across a very large group of dolphins (not too uncommon in Galapagos).   Juan Manuel Salcedo, the Samba's principal guide (and co-owner) ordered all engines stopped, and suggested that people might want to jump in and "make like a dolphin".  Our son was an enthusiastic participant and managed to make this video of his experience.

CNH Tours has just completed the first ever quantitative analysis of Galapagos visitor site quality.   For years, people have been asking us: “Which is the nicest visitor site?”; “Where’s the best snorkeling?”; “Is this itinerary better than that one”.    Our answers have always been very much based on our own judgement and limited experience – taking into consideration the fact that we have not been to each of the 54 visitor sites surveyed in our analysis.  

How did we do it?   We asked 12 naturalist guides, with a combined 231 years guiding experience in Galapagos, to rate visitor sites on a scale of 1 to 10 (1 being the poorest) against 5 specific criteria:

1. Iconic species: The likelihood of seeing relatively rare but iconic Galapagos species (e.g. giant tortoise in the wild, penguin, flightless cormorant, flamingo, land iguana)
2. Biodiversity: The abundance and diversity of plant and animal life, not necessarily iconic.
3. Striking vistas: The likelihood that visitors will be taking pictures of the landscape at a particular site.
4. Beach quality: The quality of a beach for playing in the sand, sunbathing, swimming, relaxing.
5. Snorkel quality: The likelihood of seeing rich and diverse underwater life.

It’s important to note that the results paint a broad, general picture, and contain plenty of “wiggle room” in terms of actual visitor experience, with some variability due to seasonal wildlife fluctuations and to simple chance of seeing, or not seeing some species on a particular day (Punta Suarez’s iconic waved albatross is a seasonal visitor, for example), or simply due to personal preferences.   For this reason, it is better to use the ratings as a general indication and not as an absolute measure.   For example, the #4 site is not necessarily worse than the #1 site, but you can be confident that it is among the top sites for a particular critera.  

The ratings do not take into consideration cultural or historical attributes of the sites.  Some sites might have little appeal for wildlife, but are steeped in history (Post Office Bay, Floreana Island for example). In the lists below, those sites presenting cultural or historical interest are demarked with an asterisk.  

Based on our painstaking work (3 years in the making!), here are some results of interest:

TOP 10 SITES FOR ICONIC SPECIES:

 TOP 10 SITES FOR BIODIVERSITY

TOP 10 SITES FOR STRIKING VISTAS

TOP 10 BEACHES

 TOP 10 SITES FOR SNORKELING

TOP 10 SITES OVERALL:

We've been told that a new regulation is now in place regarding entry documents for arrivals into Ecuador. Anyone who enters the country  as a tourist must now have public or private health insurance for the duration of their stay in Ecuador. If you cannot provide proof of such insurance, the immigration agent has the power to deny you entry into the country.  

So, be ready to show any travel medical insurance documents you may have - and if you haven't purchased any, you might want to show your national health card or something similar.   

I do find it hard to believe that people without such documents will now be systematically turned back upon arrival - but it doesn't hurt to be ready to show the immigration clerk the right piece of paper (or plastic).

Peruvian wildlife authorities found 29 small tortoises (about 3-4 years old based on photographs I've seen) -- two of them dead -- in a cardboard box on a bus on its way from northern Peru to Lima.

Officials made the discovery while working to identify a suspected international wildlife trafficking ring, which has a route from Peru to the European black market.

Galapagos park officials said genetic studies will be necessary to determine the zone of the archipelago they were taken from.  It's not likely they were stolen from any of  the three tortoise breeding centres - where they are carefully monitored.  

The tortoises will shortly be going back to their islands.

Our Active Galapagos "Covington " group was on top of Pichinca Volcano today, just above Quito.  The view looks FABULOUS!  Quito installed a new cable car from the city all the way up to the top of the mountain.  Our city tour, part of our Active Galapagos trip, includes a trip up to the top on clear days (otherwise, it's just not worth it - and on those days, we spend more time focusing on the treasures of the most beautiful capital city in South America).   Today was such a day - that's Quito down below (Quito is at apx. 9,000 feet / 2,800 metres altitude).    The group just arrived yesterday - and today is what we call their "cushion" day, designed to buffer any mishaps in travel logistics getting to Ecuador (e.g. missed connections, lost luggage etc...).  At the crack of dawn tomorrow, these folks will be heading to Galapagos to embark on the Samba for an adventure of a lifetime.  

Ecuadorians went to the polls last Sunday for the 2nd round of presidential elections.  Former president Correa of the party Alianza Pais (AP), had been in power for 2 terms (under the new constitution) and could not present himself again.  The candidate for AP, Lenin Moreno (a former VP for AP), was just short of the minimum 40% threshold required to win outright during the first round a few weeks ago, and so a 2nd round had to take place.

Correa was a big, charismatic personality - hosting a weekly TV show always held in a different town, showing him interacting with locals and showing off his government's achievements.  Under his government, I saw massive infrastructure investments that transformed at least those parts of the country I know -  but my contacts in Ecuador also tell me there was waste and corruption and a skyrocketing national debt.  

Ecuador counts on oil exports to fund its spending, and the dramatic drop in prices have not made things easy.  One measure imposed to compensate for lost revenue was a hefty import tax that did not please those who are best placed to enjoy imported products.  This also created some inflationary pressures, as prices jumped.    Similarly, there is an export tax on any funds sent out of the country.  

The National Electoral Commission declared Lenin Moreno the victor on Monday - eliciting significant protests from Lasso supporters, who accuse the Commission of having fixed the results.   Apparently, exit polls had been showing Lasso with a measurable lead over Moreno.

As I write this, I don't have a clear sense as to whether the disgruntled voters convinced that their election has been stolen will organize themselves to exert sufficient pressures on the government to respond.   For the time being, I'm sensing frustration, a call to action in some quarters - but no organized response.  

What does this mean for visitors to Galapagos?  Based on my 20 years' experience in Ecuador, the likelihood of any disruptions are small.  I have witnessed the overthrow of a few governments, the running out of the country of a president (with whom I had been meeting in his office 3 days earlier), fishermen uprisings in Galapagos - and rarely has this affected a visitor's itinerary or plans.  

Our local tourism partners in Quito and in Galapagos are used to this kind of thing and know how to handle situations, should any arise.   I would suspect, with all due respect to my disgruntled friends in the country, that notwithstanding a few agitated demonstrations, things will remain quiet as usual. 

It was barely a week ago that the New York Times published a good story on blue footed boobies.  And today, they published another one on giant tortoises, with a focus on the return of the embalmed Lonesome George, and his more successful (on a reproductive basis) cousin, Diego.  A good read for those preparing a trip.   Click here to see it. 

The beloved blue footed boobies of Galapagos were featured in today's New York Times.  As I cannot think of outdoing NYT reporting and attempt to re-interpret the article here, I've simply made a link to it so that you can have a look for yourself.

Click HERE to see the NYT times article.   Worth a read (for those with a trip to Galapagos still in the future, you'll be able to impress your naturalist guide with the latest quirky knowledge on booby behaviour!).