Galapagos Explorer: your luxury vessel in Galapagos

RULES OF THE NATIONAL PARK

• Do not disturb or remove any plant, rock or animal.
• Be careful not to transport any organic material form island to island.
• Do not touch or handle the animals.
• Do not feed the animals.
• Do not startle or chase any animal. Stay on marked trails, doing so will avoid damage vegetation or cause erosion.
• Do not leave or throw any litter on or off the ship. Please, do not buy souvenirs made from native Galapagos products (except for wood)
• Do not smoke on the islands.
• Do not hesitate to show your conservationist attitude.

The Ecuadorian government declared the Galapagos Islands a National Park on the July 4, 1959. Simultaneously in Belgium, the Charles Darwin Foundation for the Galapagos was formed. The Charles Darwin Station for scientific investigation was built on Santa Cruz Island, and was inaugurated on January 20, 1964. Later in 1968, the National Park Service for the Galapagos was initiated and today on the island, groups of no more than 20 visitors are led by a certified naturalist. This policy is intended to reduce the impact on the fragile ecosystem while providing a sense of solitude and privacy on the islands.