The Galapagos Islands, situated several hundred miles off the coast of the South American country Ecuador, are an ecological treasure with an amazing level of biodiversity. The Galapagos are comprised of 13 large islands, six small islands, and 40 islets that are named, as well as other ecological and geographical formations that have neither been named nor explored (Jackson, 1993). Together, the named islands and land masses constitute more than 8,000 kilometers, and the topography of the islands is unique (Jackson, 1993).

The islands have become popular by ecotourism buffs and those hoping to mix vacation with their willingness to volunteer in the region.

Although the islands are located near the equator and might be expected for this reason to have a tropical climate, the influence of geological activity in the sea bed surrounding the islands has created a craggy, rugged terrain, much of which is dry (Jackson, 1993). In other words, this unique mix of geological and climate features makes the Galapagos islands an interesting area for study because there are so many species that have come into and adapted this new terrain and climate as well as several other indigenous species. In addition to the unique features of the land, the Galapagos are also widely recognized as having some of the most diverse species representation on Earth (Jackson, 1993). Among the plant, mammal, reptile, and marine species that call the Galapagos home are species that exist nowhere else in the world (Jackson, 1993), and for this reason, conservation specialists and advocates are particularly interested in preserving the ecological habitat in order to promote species survival and the Galapagos Islands have become an ideal location to study both these species and the effects of current conditions, including climate change as well as the more general impact of human activity.

The ecology of the Galapagos is increasingly being threatened and compromised by the influence of human activity on the islands, particularly as the result of tourism, even if some of it is actually called eco-tourism. Human activity on the Galapagos has been documented as extending as far back as almost 500 years, and across this history of visitors and inhabitants, the impact on the environment has been a serious concern (Metropolitan Touring, 2003). During the period spanning 1793 to 1870, for instance, whaling activity off the islands nearly decimated the sea turtle population, which, in turn, would have a ripple effect throughout the islands’ food chain (Metropolitan Touring, 2003).

Events such as these which were started by one element of human activity and one species effected are numerous, especially since until more recently the chain effect of environmental damage was not as well-known or discussed. The most famous visitor to the Galapagos, of course, was Charles Darwin, whose five week visit in 1835 brought the Galapagos and its rich ecological diversity to the attention of scholars around the world (Metropolitan Touring, 2003). Darwin declared the island chain to be strangely fascinating because of the complex level of biodiversity and clear signs of adaptation of numerous species (Jackson, 1993), and ever since, both scientists and, increasingly, the public at large, have been interested in visiting the unique islands. In fact, in recent years, tourism to the remote islands has increased exponentially, a fact which has significant implications for the ecological integrity and future of the islands (Galapagos Conservancy, 2007). The Galapagos Conservancy (2007) reports that the number of tourists to the islands has increased from 41,000 in 1990 to more than 100,000 in 2005. At the same time, the number of residents increased from 10,000 to 28,000 (Galapagos Conservancy, 2007). One cannot help but remark on the irony of this tourism based on ecological desires that is slowly having a great negative impact on the main attraction.

According to the Galapagos Conservancy (2007), an organization that is dedicated to the conservation of this strange and special ecological zone, the impacts of human visitors and inhabitants to the island have become more noticeable in recent decades. Specific threats to the environment of the Galapagos include the decline in species biodiversity; compromises in the health and robustness of native species due to the introduction of non-native and invasive species; pollution caused by willful damage as well as overtaxed infrastructure of basic systems, such as sewage; and the general degradation of the ecological environment caused by overuse, visible in erosion and damage to plant and animal species (Galapagos Conservancy, 2007). Visitors, especially in such a large quantity, create a disturbance in the natural equilibrium of an environment and whether they care to think of it or not, are inadvertently destroying the beauty, natural setting, and huge amount of biodiversity they came to see in the first place. Although many tourists who visit the Galapagos are committed nature lovers, their very presence in the region still has a deleterious effect on the ecology of the islands. The sheer number of people trekking across the islands results in erosion and the trampling of certain plant species, for example. Furthermore, the large number of visitors also creates stress on the local infrastructure, creating excessive garbage and human waste that cannot be disposed of easily. Pollution results, making the integrity of the environment less secure for the species that live there (Galapagos Conservancy, 2007). Over time, species can disappear completely and, in fact, several species native to the Galapagos are threatened with extinction and are currently listed as endangered (Galapagos Conservancy, 2007).