Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, Galapagos Islands - Visiting the Galapagos Islands, which are thronged with unusual animals, used to be difficult and expensive, but times are changing and affordable flights from the Ecuadorian cities of Quito and Guayaquil are easily available.
The Galapagos are one of the world’s main showcases of the drama of evolution.
Travellers with small budgets can find accommodation for about $14 (R235) a night, and can get to see the giant tortoises, seals, pelicans and monster terrestrial and aquatic lizards virtually for free.
More than 200 000 tourists a year visit the Pacific islands, which lie about 1 000km west of South America. Those who wish to go hiking amid the booby and albatross nests on otherwise uninhabited islands are better off booking an excursion by ship, which can range from $250 to $800 a day.
But it costs far less to enjoy the astonishing sight of a giant tortoise withdrawing its long neck and tiny head into its shell, tucking its stubby legs inside and slowly settling immovably in the sand. That makes it a perfect natural fortress.
Sometimes the animals simply withdraw, emitting a hissing sound and going into their shell when a tourist becomes a little too pushy and wants to touch the animal. The tortoises weigh up to 300kg and can be well over 100 years old. Santa Cruz, the most important island for tourism in the archipelago, has a population of the giant tortoises.
The plants and animals on the archipelago of about 130 islands were able to evolve for 5 million years without major predators.
The island capital of Puerto Ayora has nearly 15 000 inhabitants, more than half of the Galapagos population. In the harbour, seals doze while water taxis ferry people back and forth in the bay.
Fishing boats, freighters, and high-speed ferries ply the waters, heading to the other three inhabited islands, San Cristobal, Isabela and Floreana. A number of cruise ships lie at anchor most months of the year.
Galapagos guides are emphatic in repeating to the guests before they arrive at the nature reserves on the islands: “Nobody may leave the marked path, or touch an animal, or use their flash when taking photos.”
Anyone who smokes or even as much as drops a piece of paper can be in for trouble.
One of the guides is Harry Jonitz, from Germany. He has spent more than 20 years on the islands, and can help visitors better observe and understand what they are seeing of this rare natural world. When interviewed, he was standing alongside Captain Julio Pachay on the bridge of the Treasure of Galapagos, an excursion catamaran with space for 16 passengers. Another, the Tip Top IV, carries about the same number of people.
The sea was calm and there was time for a chat on the bridge with Captain Pachay.
“Things simply got too crowded. It’s a good thing that our authorities pulled the emergency brake,” he said, referring to the measures taken to force many mainland Ecuadorians living illegally on the islands to leave.
In 2007, Unesco put the Galapagos on its Red List of endangered world heritage sites, partly because of the uncontrolled influx of people and other environmental problems.
“To ensure the top destinations are not flooded by visitors, all the ships must stick to important rules,” Jonitz said. “They may no longer stop at the same destination twice within 14 days.”
Tour operator Hans-Juergen Creter said: “All the cruise ships are monitored by satellite.”
Any ship operator who tries to sneak in an extra tour risks losing his licence. Unesco has since withdrawn its Red List warning.
Still, many of the endemic plants and animals are threatened by the human influx.
Along with Santa Cruz and Espanola, the islands of Genovesa, Seymour Norte, Bartolome and Isabela are especially popular destinations. Those who want to see the giant tortoises – for many tourists the absolute highlight of a Galapagos visit – should plan ahead and figure out which boat ride to book.
The animals live in the wild on Santa Cruz, Isabela, Santiago, San Cristobal and Espanola. Those who see these giant creatures only on Santa Cruz, where tourists have to stay on the path behind a low wall at the Charles Darwin Station, are often disappointed, especially after hearing the accounts of travellers lucky enough to have roamed among them in their natural island habitat.
Bernd Kubisch, dpa