The Galápagos Stories

The success of the park depends heavily on park rangers, but their needs are not always fully considered in protected area management plans. A public use technician in Ecuador wants to change that.

An innovative program’s ultimate goal is to help boost the “ocean economy” in the Galápagos in a sustainable way—ensuring that tourism and livelihoods can flourish while minimizing any impact on its irreplaceable ecosystem.

Waters between the Galápagos Islands and Ecuador attract migratory sea life, gather one of the world’s largest known populations of giant manta rays, and act serve as a whale shark breeding ground.

How policy, enforcement, and earning the trust of local fishers protected one of the most diverse coastlines in the world.

Tourist boats used to flock to Floreana Island for day tours without previously booking, leaving the community unprepared. With WWF's help, residents redesigned their tourism model for the long term.

Titi shrimp, or pomada, are wild shrimp, native to Ecuador, and they are harvested around the Gulf of Guayaquil by both trawlers and artisanal fishermen using a unique kind of trap that doesn’t exist anywhere else in the world. WWF-Ecuador has been working with both the industrial and artisanal fishermen to ensure that the fishery is sustainable.

Around the world, humans produce an estimated 1.3 billion tons of plastic waste per year, a number that is set to increase to 2.2 billion by 2025. In countries such as Ecuador that have limited garbage collection services, some of this plastic waste inevitably ends up back in the oceans or on beaches, where it has the potential to harm and human health.

The Galápagos draws visitors to see amazing plants and wildlife found nowhere else in the world. Meet Juan Carlos Garcia, WWF Program Officer for Sustainable Management in the Galápagos, and learn about his work.