Darwin’s Enchanted Isles are one of our planets most precious and unique ecosystems, home to an extraordinary profusion of exotic flora and fauna. The Islands retain a staggering 95% of their endemic species, a feat unparalleled on any other archipelago in the world. In 1959, a hundred years after the publication of The Origin of Species, Ecuador declared 97% of the Islands landmass a national park and in 2001, the marine reserve was established. Keeping Galapagos biologically pristine has been and continues to be, a constant and hard-waged battle. As a result in 2007, three decades after being designated the first World Heritage Site, UNESCO declared Galapagos as a World Heritage Site at risk, citing introduction of alien species, illegal fishing, unsustainable tourism, illegal migration and population growth. Galapagos was later removed from the list in 2010, but many conservationists feel this was done pre-maturely as the Islands still remain very much at risk.
Ecoventura is a family-owned company based in Guayaquil, Ecuador with sales offices in Quito and Miami. The cruise company transports 3,500+ passengers annually aboard a fleet of three expedition vessels; Eric, Flamingo & Letty identical, superior first-class 20-passenger motor yachts and the Galapagos Sky, a 16-passenger dedicated luxury dive live-aboard. Ecoventura is committed to providing an authentic experience in small compatible groups, lessening the impact on the wildlife, offering value, and a safe, memorable, mind-expanding voyage. The company began offering tours in the Galapagos in 1991 and started “greening” the operation and equipment in 1999.
Ecoventura was the first company to earn and maintain the voluntary ecological certification, SmartVoyager since 2000.
The company has offset carbon emissions since 2006 and also reduced CO2 by 10% by installation of solar panels and wind generators to the Eric, the first hybrid yacht in Galapagos.
In 2006, Ecoventura established the Galapagos Marine Biodiversity Fund in partnership with the World Wildlife Fund that supports environmental education and marine conservation by strengthening the local communities’ ability to manage natural resources.
Ecoventura helps to support the population of San Cristobal Island through employment opportunities, purchasing local products and sponsorship of a local school. through employment opportunities, purchasing local products and sponsorship of a local school.
Through these various initiatives spearheaded by Ecoventura’s President, Santiago Dunn, the company has become the pacesetter in responsible tourism to the Galapagos Islands. Through its core commitment to the ongoing sustainability of this fragile and at-threat ecosystem, Ecoventura has invested upwards of $500,000 to refurbish its fleet of yachts to meet its own stringent ecology-minded standards.
"We want to give our passengers the assurance that Ecoventura has taken every measure to ensure that passengers enjoy a safe, thrilling adventure without harming the unique wildlife or the fragile environment. We all live in this world and breath the same air, the very least we can do is try to preserve it for our children and the generations to come,” says Dunn.