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In
1934, seeing the need to protect the unique environment of the Galapagos,
the National Assembly of Ecuador passed protective legislation and created
wildlife sanctuaries on some of the islands.
Then, in 1959, as 95% of the islands and 50,000 sq
miles of surrounding ocean was granted protection, an organization
of scientists and conservationists established the Charles Darwin
Foundation
and the Charles Darwin Research Center, which officially opened in 1964.
Four years later, the Galapagos National Park Service was formed.
UNESCO to place the Galapagos Islands on the World Heritage List in 1978,
thereby bringing significant international pressure towards safeguarding
this unique environment.
 The
aim of the Galapagos National Park is to preserve the islands’ unique
and delicate environment. Upon
entering the islands, visitors must pay a US$100 entry fee, some
of which goes to the Ecuadorian Government and
some of which goes to the park.
To further protect the islands from the impact of tourism, visitors
are restricted access to the islands to 50 visitor sites in addition
to towns and public areas. Almost
all of these sites are reached by boats which land on rocky or sandy beaches
– there are few docks. Sometimes
you have to get out of the boat and wade a few feet to the shore.
Visitors must also have a qualified guide, which accompany
every boat, when they enter visitor sites. These guides can be a valuable
source of information about the wildlife and history, as well as ensuring
that visitors do not harm the wildlife or wander off trails. Although
there are around 500 or so registered guides on the Galapagos, only about
100 are active.
For
a list of the Galapagos National Park rules click on IGTOA
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