Hanga Roa, Easter Island 7 April 2008 Les på norsk

Galàpagos – paradise lost

**FISHING PORT** Many of those migrating to the Galàpagos from Ecuador make their living as fishermen. This creates a conflict between these and the marine predators. Recently, 53 sealions were found hacked to death in one of the islands in the archipelago.

NEWS AND FEATURE STORIES

PUERTO AYORA: Galàpagos. The name smells of adventure and natural-historical explorations. And the islands are truly unique, as is the fauna and flora. But in Galàpagos, overpopulation, mass tourism and the introduction of foreign species are causing the largest crisis the islands have faced in several million years.

FACTS ABOUT GALÀPAGOS:

The Galàpagos islands are situated approximately 1,000 kilometers west of Ecuador in South America. They form part of the territory of Ecuador. The archipelago consists of 13 islands and 34 rocks and skerries. The islands are volcanic, and some of the volcanoes are still active. The highest peak is the volcano Wolf, with some 1707 meters above sea level. The vegetation is sparse.
The Galàpagos islands are situated straight below the Equator, and the climate is tropical. The hottest season is from January to April. Tourism is the main industry in the islands. Around 60,000 people visit the islands annually.
Around 18,000 people reside permanently on the islands, most of them Ecuadorians. For many years, also Norwegians lived in the Galàpagos, but most of the immigrants are now dead or have left.
The person that made the islands famous, was Charles Darwin He visited the archipelago with the ship “Beagle” in 1835, and later on he introduced his thesis about evolution, that was based largely on his studies of the fauna and flora in the Galàpagos. The archipelago is a national park today, and is listed on UNESCOs world heritage list.
The currency in use is US dollar. VISA is widely accepted by restaurants, shops and businesses, and there are several ATMs available, in several of the largest islands. .

(Sources: World info Zone, CIA World fact book)

**LITTLE RASCAL** The islands are literally crawling with reptiles and little animals, differing in size from a couple of inches to a few feet. This little nipper was very agile, but obviously used to being photographed. He posed willingly for the photographer, before disappearing again.

**STRANGE ANIMALS** The fauna in Galàpagos is truly unique. These to specimen have probably been introduced from outside, and will most likely be put to sleep by the local hunters in a short while, ust like goats and dogs have. Sad, but this is life. Unless somebody would like to adopt them? Send us an email, and we will coordinate!

NORWAY, NORWAY: Thorvaldo Kastdalen is third generation immigrant from Norway, and he speaks Norwegian fluently. He is very proud of his heritage, and has turned his childhood home into a museum. Thorvaldo runs a farm, a plantation and a hotel in St. Cruz, one of the islands.

**FROM OUTSIDE** The house seen from the yard.

**IN NORWEGIAN** An old Norwegian saying of hospitality quoted.

**LIKE HOME** The ocean strikes the archipelago hard, and for us it is just like home. Both wind and ocean can be very fierce here.

**NEW SPECIES** The Snorkel animal, first seen in Galàpagos. Shallow, crystal clear waters make for unique snorkeling experiences.

Hanga Roa, Easter Island, 07.04.2008