The Sunday Times November 14, 2021 3Back on the
wildlife
trails we
found
youngsters
that had
never seen
humans
T
here has been lots of
speculation as to how we’ve
been so lucky in the Galapagos
islands. Very few of us caught
Covid and there have been just
a handful of deaths. They’re looking to
nature for the answers. Is it the saline in
the water, for instance? I think it’s actually
something a lot simpler: we Galapagians
love following rules. We’re very good at
doing so because we need to if we want
to protect the special environment we
live in. During the first wave of the
pandemic we were only allowed to
leave the house between 5am and
2pm, and everyone respected
that, along with social distancing,
quarantining and mask-wearing —
and 90 per cent of us are fully
vaccinated.
I wish I could say that our
economy was in such good health.
A drop of 75 per cent in tourists last
year has meant no money for rangers and
scientists to protect the wildlife. Income
brought in by cruises and tours is what
funds the transportation for rangers and
for scientists to carry out vital research.
Hotels, restaurants, bars; those in the
towns suffered too, and locals had to think
of other ways to make money. Lots started
hand-delivering trays of ceviche.
This is a small place where we all know
each other and want to help. When the
pandemic first hit, it felt like the
Galapagos from 20 years ago. Farmers
would bring their cows to the street and
pump milk out, and fishermen would
come, arms heavy with their catch. There
were swaps wherever you looked: a dozen
eggs for a bag of bananas, some chicken
for a box of avocados.
The wildlife was one thing that stayed
the same, although everything is
definitely more curious now. When we
could finally head back to the trails we
were met with youngsters that had never
seen humans before and wanted to get a
closer look. Perhaps most intrigued were
the blue-footed boobies and frigate
chicks, whose feathers were completely
unruffled by our presence; they simply
blinked at us in confusion.
Luckily, the party was still in full swing
in the water. Normally one or two sea
lions would come to swim with the tour
groups I’d bring along to meet them. Now
it’s more like 18 or 19 pups who flipBeaches on
Bartolome Island
in the Galapagos.
A marine iguana,
abovethrough the waters and bark orders
at us to join in as they dance around.
It took rangers months to clear the
mangroves, salt bushes and succulents
that had grown over the trails when tours
paused. Plastic, washed in from the
ocean, had built up too with nobody there
to remove it. A few huge clean-up
operations later and we were ready for
tours to restart in mid-July at about 60 per
cent of capacity. Initially people came
from Ecuador, but now from the rest
of South America too — and, we
hope, tourists from the UK will join
now that the red list has been
scrapped.
We Galapagians wonder
if guests will be too afraid to
travel to such a remote place
now. Those who do soon realise
that it’s the safest place to be with
the tiny amount of cases we have. To
visit the islands you need a negative
PCR test or proof of full vaccination, and
once here you will need to wear a mask
indoors and outdoors.
Now is also one of the best times to get
close to our inhabitants. Rangers had
started working on new itineraries to
control group sizes before the pandemic
hit and it has sped things up. Each island
has a different capacity, so there are now
fewer people on each at once — a better
experience for everyone.
More good news came from Cop26:
Ecuador will be expanding its marine
reserves by 60,000 sq km — a game-
changer and something we’ve been
requesting from the government for a
long time. Years ago the waters were full
of sharks and whales, but numbers have
been depleting every year, likely because
of Chinese fishing vessels that are
rumoured to drop their nets for 73,
hours every month. I’m quietly confident
that this new ruling will result in the
waters being full once again, which will
be incredible.
Little by little things are getting better
and I hope more tourists will return soon.
Humans feel most alive when they’re
witnessing nature and breathing in pure,
unpolluted air — and where better to do
that than in the Galapagos.Dennis Ballesteros is a guide with
Metropolitan Touring and lives in the
Galapagos islands. He spoke to Lucy PerrinWIN A £250 VOUCHER WITH THE DOYLE COLLECTION
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Blaine, who wins a £
voucher towards a stay in any
of The Doyle Collection’s UK
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and The Kensington inLondon and The Bristol in the
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T&Cs: thesundaytimes.co.uk/travellettersThe wildlife is more curious than ever and everyone is
desperate to welcome tourists, says Dennis Ballesteros
COVER PHOTOGRAPH: SEAN3810/GETTY IMAGESDC COLOMBIA/GETTY IMAGESGALAPAGOS
POSTCARD FROM...
Stone Town just after it had been
converted from a telegraph office. As
soon as you step outside the hotel you
are in a living museum, with the highlight
being the House of Wonders, only a five-
minute walk away. The slave chambers
are a short drive away and, although
tragically sad, should be compulsory for
every tourist. Do not miss visiting the
forest to see the Zanzibar red colobus
monkeys, which are unique to the island,
having been isolated from the mainland
for thousands of years.
Robert Boston, Kent
Shame Mr Clarkson didn’t mention that
gay people are persecuted in Zanzibar,
where same-sex acts are against the law
and LGBTQ people have no legal
protections. Maybe rather than
encouraging Zanzibar’s state-sanctioned
homophobia and transphobia by
promoting it as a tourist destination, he
might call for improved LGBTQ rights so
that all will be welcome there.
Sue Westwood via thetimes.co.uk
COSTA DEL YORKSHIRE
If you want to walk it, the coastal part
of the glorious Cleveland Way stretches
from Saltburn-by-the-Sea down to Filey
Brigg (“Coastal highs”, last week) — and
I would have thought that Will Hide would
have mentioned that Scarborough is
known hereabouts as “Scarbados”.
Tom Norris via thetimes.co.ukWON OVER BY ALBANIA
In 2018 I won a week’s holiday in
Albania with Jules Verne (thanks to a
Sunday Times competition) — it was
rearranged five times but I finally arrived.
It is a beautiful country with mountain
passes, rivers and forests, Greek and
Roman archaeological sites, hilltop
castles, citadels and churches with ancient
icons, frescoes and mosaics. Hotels are
excellent, and the Adriatic coast has miles
of unspoilt beaches and clear blue water.
Greek and Italian cuisine is a third of UK
prices; a beer is just over a pound and an
ice cream is 50p a scoop — a must!
Kay Bagon via thetimes.co.uk