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Partnerships for the Conservation of Galapagos

Royal Galapagos continuously works with Galapagos Conservation Trust, a British non-profit foundation which aims to protect and conserve the Galapagos Islands and its ecosystems through sustainable solutions.

Galapagos Conservation Trust

Galapagos Conservation TrustFounded in 1995, the Galapagos Conservation Trust (GCT) is a British non-profit organization and is the only charity of the United Kingdom to work solely for the conservation of the Galapagos Islands, which are one of the most unique, ecologically important, yet vulnerable areas in the world. 80% of its land birds and 97% of its mammals and reptiles are found nowhere else on Earth, but over 80 species are now Endangered or Critically Endangered.

The GCT vision is ‘the unique nature and beauty of the Galapagos Archipelago conserved and protected in perpetuity’ so for over 25 years the GCT has raised funds and awareness and delivered impactful conservation projects both on its own and in partnership with Ecuadorian authorities, local communities, scientists and other NGOs.

GCT’s conservation work in Galapagos is consolidated into two ecosystem-level programmes: islands and oceans and the project portfolio for 2023-25 is focusing on four key solutions: stopping species extinctions; eradicating invasive species; building climate resilience; and reducing the human footprint.

Royal Galapagos has been working with the Galapagos Conservation Trust since 2012 continuously aiming to promote the conservation of the Islands and currently supports three of its programs: Endangered sharks of Galapagos, Plastic pollution and Saving Giant Tortoises.

Royal Galapagos Contribution and Alliance with GCT and Steppes Travel

Natural Paradise

Royal Galapagos is continuously looking for opportunities to promote the work of Galapagos Conservation Trust for raising funds and awareness towards the care of the Island’s unique ecosystems.

For the summer of 2024 our Natural Paradise luxury yacht will have a couple of special departures, hosted by Steppes Travel and the GCT, where travelers on board will be fortunate to learn about several conservation projects and meet the frontline experts in charge of them while directly funding vital work for the conservation of the Galapagos Islands.

Due to these charter expeditions, Royal Galapagos will be making a special donation of +$10,000 as a token of our on-going support to this organization and its sustainable and conservation goals.

Join GCT and Steppes Travel on this special expedition on board the Natural Paradise

Departure Dates:

June 18-25, 2024 & July 02-09, 2024

Join Here

GETTING INVOLVED

The work of the Galapagos Conservation Trust is vital to the future of the Islands and its amazing wildlife and ecosystems, to make a donation please click here.

Adopt a Galapagos Animal Project

ADOPT A GALAPAGOS ANIMAL PROJECT

One of the main characteristics of a Galapagos trip is that wildlife can be found in any direction and most of the time the animals that inhabit the archipelago are just as curious about the human visitors as we are about them, which is one of the reasons the archipelago, and its wildlife were a key component for Darwin’s theory of evolution. In order to help protect this fragile ecosystem and its endangered species, Royal Galapagos, through the GCT’s Adopt a Galapagos Animal Project, has been sponsoring these symbolic adoptions of many Galapagos animals either by gifting adoption certificates to travelers and clients or by making our vessels become adoptive parents.

Along with the personalized certificate, adopters receive a souvenir/toy and regular updates about the conservation work being done to protect the species. To adopt your own Galapagos animal, please click here.

Endangered Sharks

ENDANGERED SHARKS

The Galapagos Islands is one of the few places in the world where you can dive with adult sharks and even with a short snorkeling trip you will be able to find different shark species swimming around you.

The Galapagos Marine Reserve has a high number of several shark species that are under threat because of climate change and plastic pollution, so research to gain knowledge about the most vulnerable shark species is vital to ensure protection of its habitat. The Endangered Sharks of Galapagos project focuses on learning more about the nursery aspects and migratory conduct of the hammerhead, silky and whale sharks.

To learn more about this program please click here.

Plastic Pollution

PLASTIC POLLUTION

Even though the Galapagos Islands and its Marine Reserve are one of the most pristine places in the globe, plastic pollution is an on-going concern for the conservation of this enchanted paradise. More than 35 species have been recorded to be entangled or having ingested plastic.

The Galapagos Conservation Trust has been working with the Galapagos National Park and other entities and scientists to research and discover the best approach to find a feasible solution to the plastic problem and to be able to replicate the findings in other parts of the continent.

To learn more about this initiative please click here.

Rescuing Giant Tortoises

RESCUING GIANT TORTOISES

One of the most emblematic animals of the Islands is the Giant Tortoise, however most of its subspecies are on the verge of extinction. Sadly, research has found that virus transmission from cattle, plastic ingestion, and road mishaps are the most important threats to these gentle giants. GCT has continuous work in place to protect their nests, track different individuals throughout their lifespan, understanding health issues and reaching out to landowners to assure a safe path is offered to this vulnerable specie. Moreover, GCT is looking to start a new project in one of the most populated islands and get the local community involved using farmland and turning it into a safe environment for tortoises.

Follow this link to learn how you can help the Galapagos giant tortoises.

Timeline of Conservation Efforts in the Galapagos:

Galapagos Conservation Timeline

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