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It’s not a coincidence that our company name starts with “eco”!

We strive to share our love of the Galapagos Islands while also being mindful of our impact on the environment. That is why we continue to partner with Ecology Project International (EPI) in 2018 by providing special departures for families in July and August of this year.

What is Ecology Project International?

EPI is a non-profit NGO based in Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz. They provide a unique opportunity for youth and the community to participate in local conservation efforts through field-based student-scientist partnerships. These experiences give Galapagueño students an active role in conservation and encourage them to facilitate positive change in the world and in their community.

Educating young people is one of the best investments we can make for the future of our planet and EPI does this beautifully! EPI and Galapagos National Park (GNP) staff lead students in classes focused on different aspects of conservation in the islands. In one unit, students take measurements of sand levels to identify possible beach erosion. In another, students track, tag, and measure Galapagos tortoises. The data collected will directly assist GNP to track and monitor the land tortoise population.

Ecoventura Partnership

Our work with EPI takes many forms — from career exploration opportunities for Galapagueño teens to our support for students to participate in a one-week field study program.

Ecoventura is proud to be the first tour boat operator in the Galapagos to offer activities involving Ecology Project International.

This year, we are offering three special family departures that include an excursion to work alongside local EPI students in their scientific projects at the reserve! These activities include  visitation of the greenhouse area or observation of the seed dispersal identification and more.

Our special departures make for the perfect family vacation. Your entire family will get the chance to share this exciting opportunity as you visit the EPI field camps. Families will accompany students in learning about conservation and discovering more about the Galapagos. Guests will leave with a better understanding of a conservationist’s role in defending the islands from invasive species and protecting the islands to preserve them for generations to come.

Share the beauty of the Galapagos Islands with your kids and enjoy close encounters with wildlife that only the archipelago can offer. Seeing the look on your son or daughter’s face when they see a sea lion or marine iguana up close for the first time is a memory you will carry with you forever.

Four EPI students got the opportunity to travel with Ecoventura and learn from our experienced Naturalist Guides .  We would like to give a special thank you to Ivan Lopez, who volunteered his time to mentor these young people whose experience on board the MY ERIC for one week was both memorable AND educational! 

Here are a few quotes from local students who traveled with Ecoventura in December 2017 and had the trip of a lifetime:

What did you learn? “I learned that when there is a volcano eruption, the old lava that is inside comes out and loses all its minerals and breaks easily when is dry, but the new lava keeps its minerals and doesn’t break easily.” — Nahym

What did you like the most? “Seeing frigatebirds, penguins, and walking to the top of Bartolomé Island.” — Elena

What did you learn? “The different types of giant tortoises they have in the Charles Darwin Foundation in captivity and the process they follow to later return them to the islands they belong to.” — Camila

Our first class yacht, the M/Y LETTY or ERIC, will serve as your family’s home base while traveling with us for our 2018 EPI family cruises. The visit to the EPI reserve takes place on the Thursday of each cruise week. The available cruise dates for these departures are:

• July 22-29, 2018
• August 5-12, 2018
• August 19-26, 2018

We only offer these EPI visits during select summer departures. They are very popular so reach out to us today to reserve a spot for your budding environmentalists!

Email us today for more information or to plan your next family vacation.