Elisa Howansky: Shining a Light on Ecotourism and its Effects in the Galapagos

I’m in the Galapagos for a work abroad opportunity at the Arnaldo Tupiza Tortoise Breeding Center, but here I am sweaty from chasing chickens around all day. You might be wondering why and how I got into that situation. You may also be wondering why in a fiercely protected area like the Galapagos there are invasive species roaming free. These are the questions I certainly had when I arrived in the Galapagos, as I assumed these were the product of rampant tourism. In hindsight, I feel like that assumption was due to the narrow view I had brought with me of tourism being “the big bad” in the fight for the protection of our planet.

Two chickens on Isabela Island: Ana Mireya Guerrero, CDF

Let’s start at the beginning. When I first arrived, I was given a tour by one of the people over the program I had joined. While they were showing me around the town, they were telling me about the island before and after quarantine, as COVID-19 regulations only just recently had been taken down in Ecuador. They first talked about the many tours around the island like they were a very good thing for the island in general.

"The entire island” they explained, “depends on tourism as its sole source of income. Without the tours and influx of money, the people would have to resort to eating the local fauna in secret or paying people to bring animals from the mainland to the island, which is illegal."

The tourists also help educate the locals in English through conversation, giving them an extra asset when tourists come over. Before COVID, the island was bustling with activity from tourists and locals alike. The tours had funding enough to keep afloat and there were plenty of volunteers and locals that would clean the area of garbage. This changed with COVID.

When COVID hit, fewer people came to visit the islands. This meant no volunteers, no tourists, and most importantly no influx of money.

"The people struggled to feed themselves during that time,” the program head continued, “Since hunting and eating local animals is illegal, the locals did actually import chickens, ducks, and other livestock to the island."

Even though this was very illegal, even the police turned a blind eye since it was either that or starve. The introduction of these animals has disturbed the environment, with ducks and chickens being found in protected areas.

In my mind, I still wanted to believe that stopping tourism would help the island repair from all the pollution and erosion caused by large scale tourism. This is what my scientific background led me to believe. For this reason, I was eager to see what others who were there in the time when tourism stopped due to quarantine thought.

 I first talked to my host family about how COVID-19 affected their lives. My host father, Salvador, talked about the struggles his family faced during COVID, with the lack of income coming in. He was forced to illegally purchase chickens so his family could have food, which is consistent with the program head’s assessment. In a somewhat bittersweet turn of events, he said his daughter and wife would not eat the chickens, so they were used only for eggs. The island went into disrepair a bit when tourists stopped coming, and he said he was very happy for things to be returning to normal.

Another local I talked to about this topic was the head of the Arnaldo Tupiza Tortoise Breeding Center, Oscar. Oscar was a character. He would never, ever stop talking. It was his absolute favorite thing to do. Most of it was jokes, but he would also complain about the numerous chickens that could be found in the tortoise enclosures. He says they are pests that came with COVID, and they might never be able to remove them all since they are never fenced in. For that reason, any time we saw one in the tortoise enclosures we were instructed to try and catch it, which is why I was constantly chasing chickens around.

From what I have found out now, I believe ecotourism in the Galapagos is unavoidable. It comes with its benefits and shortcomings, but overall I think it is a positive thing. This is something you would have never caught me saying before this trip. The funding and helping hands that come from individuals working abroad and touring is an integral part of conservation in these protected areas. I also have come to understand that humans are not excluded from conservation. With tourism being what keeps these small communities afloat, they need it so they can afford to worry about the beautiful environment that surrounds them.

The beautiful beaches of Puerto Villamil! This was taken from an open air restaurant on a dock.

Elisa Howansky is a senior biology major from Westminster, SC. Their research at Lander is focused on the behaviors of mammals in Upstate SC, and they are currently serving as Historian of Lander's chapter of TriBeta. After graduation, they intend to get their PhD in behavioral ecology and pursue a career in research.