Galapagos Marine Reserve Increased by 45%
The Galapagos Conservancy celebrates that President Guillermo Lasso has announced a dramatic 45% expansion of the Galapagos Marine Reserve, which includes a protected swimway from Galápagos to Costa Rica.
The Galapagos Conservancy celebrates that President Guillermo Lasso has announced a dramatic 45% expansion of the Galapagos Marine Reserve, which includes a protected swimway from Galápagos to Costa Rica.
Galapagos live aboard dive vessel Majestic Explorer has run aground and foundered in the Central Galapagos. Thankfully, the crew and passengers were all able to evacuate to another nearby vessel safely, but sadly a delay meant that the vessel sustained unsalvageable damage.
Scientists have recently discovered a scalloped hammerhead shark nursery in the Galapagos Islands. The nursery is located off Santa Cruz Island and was only discovered in November of 2017. The archipelago is one of the most densely populated shark locations in the world. Female sharks give birth to litters of up to 30 pups in the mangrove shallows of the island, which is densely populated with crabs and other small crustaceans.
Underwater photographer Josef Litt has announced that his travel guide, GALÁPAGOS, is now available to pre order. Its profusely illustrated 288 pages describes the fauna, flora, geography and history of the islands both topside and underwater. The book will ship in February 2018.
A Chinese fishing boat with its 20 fisherman has been seized in the Galapagos Islands. The boat held 300 tons of fish, mostly sharks, and is the largest vessel to be seized within the Islands. A judge on the island of San Cristobal has ordered the crew detained until court proceedings commence. The fishermen face up to 3 years if sentenced to trafficking protected species.
The Washington Post, in collaboration with the UNC School of Media and Journalism, has created a 360-degree tour of the Galapagos Islands, including underwater footage. By using 360-degree video, the hope is to show the natural beauty of the islands both above and below the islands to the public.
21 illegal shark fishermen were caught and arrested in the Galapagos Marine Reserve last week. Park rangers in the reserve spotted the suspicious vessel through their electronic surveillance. After chasing the main boat and six smaller vessels for a full twenty-four hours, eventually the rangers caught up and arrested all the crew, seized the vessels and recovered the catch.
The government of Ecuador announced yesterday plans to establish a marine sanctuary around the islands of Wolf and Darwin in the Galapagos Islands. Although the waters surrounding the famous islands have been protected since 1998 under the Galapagos Marine Reserve, small scale fishing was still permitted throughout most of the waters. This new sanctuary will establish strict no-take zones.
In an unusual twist of fate, the famed Charles Darwin Research Station of the Galapagos Islands may close by the end of the year due to failure to adapt with the times. The legacy of the research station may rest in the hands of donors as the lab is asking for nearly one million dollars in donations prior to the end of the year. Scientists claim the closure of the gift shop left them in this dire predicament.