The Latest Breaking News from Galápagos

By 2023, nearly 14,000 volunteers helped count Galápagos marine iguanas in drone photos; later phases reached 91% to 92% agreement with expert counts

Thousands of volunteers contributed to counting endangered marine iguanas through drone images from the Galápagos Islands. Participants used a citizen-science platform to identify and count the reptiles in aerial photographs. Research indicated that most volunteers undercounted the animals, posing challenges for conservation efforts. The study highlighted the potential of crowd…

The Economic Times · Oct 17

Gecko Rediscovered After Eradication: study finds distinct Rábida lineage; DNA vouchers aid conservation

The leaf-toed geckos, once believed to be extinct, have made a surprising comeback on Rábida Island. Following the successful eradication of brown rats in 2011, a solitary gecko made its debut a year later. Further expeditions in 2019 and 2021 yielded additional specimens, highlighting these geckos as a unique evolutionary…

The Times of India · Sep 24

Around 1850, sailors drove giant Galápagos tortoises to extinction, keeping them as live food because they could survive for up to a year without food or water; then scientists found mysterious ‘alien’ survivors in 2000

In an astonishing twist of fate, researchers found tortoises linked to a lineage believed to have vanished 150 years ago. Genetic testing revealed descendants of the Floreana giant tortoise, reviving hopes for this extinct group. Scientists have now introduced 158 young tortoises back to Floreana Island, preserving the genetic heritage…

The Economic Times · Sep 16

Lauren Sanchez’s journey from a teenage job at a New Mexico waterpark to luxury expeditions across world’s oceans comes into focus nearly four decades later, as her latest Galápagos trip draws attention

Lauren Sanchez's career evolved from a teenage waterpark job to marine conservation leadership. She now champions ocean protection as Vice Chair of the Bezos Earth Fund. Sanchez recently visited the Galápagos Islands to highlight shark importance. The Bezos Earth Fund supports significant marine conservation projects in the region. These initiatives…

The Economic Times · Aug 25

What can the Galápagos Islands’ animals teach us about the threats of El Niño?

In this week’s newsletter: the archipelago at the centre of the extreme weather phenomenon could help scientists predict how other marine ecosystems will adapt to our warming climate

The Guardian - UK · Jul 24

In 1997, conservationists launched a plan to kill every feral goat on the Galápagos Islands; by 2006, they had eliminated more than 140,000 of them, and vegetation and birds returned

Galápagos conservationists undertook a massive project, removing over 140,000 feral goats to protect its unique ecosystem. Employing innovative techniques like 'Judas goats,' the US$10.5 million effort, Project Isabela, proved large-scale island restoration is feasible. This success has revitalized native species and plant life, demonstrating that even vast islands can be…

The Times of India · Jun 27

The underwater wonders I saw on my once-in-a-lifetime trip to the Galápagos

In this week’s newsletter: Joining a research team on the Darwin and Wolf Islands off the Ecuadorian coast revealed how critically endangered species are reacting to their rapidly changing ocean environment

The Guardian - UK · Jun 12

Birdwatch: Going to the Galápagos for the gulls

While most visitors prefer the finches, tropicbirds and blue-footed boobies, some are drawn to less glamorous species

The Guardian - UK · Jun 10

The Galápagos is a wildlife haven. But is that enough to protect the rare scalloped hammerhead shark?

The species is abundant within the protected archipelago but when they migrate outside the marine reserve to give birth they run the gauntlet of industrial fishing

The Guardian - UK · Jun 9

These photos are more than ten years old, but scientists are still baffled by a bizarre new blue deep-sea octopus species

Researchers discovered the octopus 1.8km below the shores of the Galápagos Islands in 2015, but are still figuring out exactly what this intriguing species is

Digital Camera World · May 27