Galápagos Conservancy: Key Conservation Achievements in 2024
In 2024, the Galápagos Conservancy and the Galápagos National Park Directorate, through the Galápagos Initiative, achieved significant breakthroughs in preserving the unique ecosystems of the Galápagos Islands. Our dedicated efforts, focused on protecting iconic species and restoring their natural habitats, reflect an unwavering commitment to a sustainable future for this natural treasure. Below are the highlights of the past year’s most impactful achievements:
Protecting the Pink Iguana
To close critical knowledge gaps about the pink iguana, a critically endangered reptile endemic to the Galápagos, four scientific expeditions were carried out on Wolf Volcano, its only known habitat. Using an extensive network of camera traps, over two million images were collected and analyzed, monitoring the iguana population. The team also deployed many environmental sensors in areas where pink iguanas live to understand their ecological niche. The data generated are enhancing our understanding of the biology of this species and form the foundation for the species’ Conservation Plan, to be implemented next year, to secure the pink iguana’s survival and restore its habitat.
Tracking Giant Tortoise Movements
With the attachment to two six tortoises on San Cristóbal Island of devices that track their movement via satellite, we now have more than 90 tortoises across various islands being remotely monitored. This technology provides invaluable data on their movement patterns, habitat use, nesting areas, and migratory behaviors. Such insights are key to understanding the natural history of the iconic giant tortoises of Galápagos and developing more effective strategies to protect their habitats and populations.
Ecological Monitoring on Santa Fe Island
Our team’s ongoing ecological monitoring of Santa Fe Island has been critical in assessing the success of a novel giant tortoise restoration project and its impacts on the island’s ecosystems. Tortoises became extinct on the island in the 1800s, and 600 tortoises of another species originally from Española Island have been brought since 2015 to replace them. In 2024, field surveys confirmed that the new tortoises are thriving, dispersing across the island, and playing an increasing role in restoring the island’s ecosystem. The tortoises’ presence promotes natural cactus growth and controls the overgrowth of woody plants. The population of the endemic land iguana of Santa Fe Island continues to grow, suggesting a positive ecological interaction with the newly arrived tortoises, as both herbivores contribute to the slow recovery of the island’s ecosystem.
Yellow Land Iguanas: Two Stories of Resilience and Restoration across the Archipelago
- Rediscovery in Cartago, Isabela Island: Decades after their release from captivity, our team recaptured many yellow land iguanas in Cartago. This success highlights the effectiveness of captive breeding and head-starting programs in restoring this threatened species.
- Translocation from North Seymour to Santiago: In 2024, the iguana population on North Seymour Island served as a “nursery” of iguanas to translocate to Santiago Island, where they have been extinct for over a century. Over 500 iguanas were moved from North Seymour, after a thorough quarantine process, to the north side of Santiago Island where they are thriving and showing indications of starting to breed.
Making Albatross More Frequent Fliers
Nearly 50 landing sites critical to Waved Albatross accessing their nesting sites on Española Island — the only place on Earth where they nest – were restored by removing woody plants that had overgrown their “airports” in the absence of grazing by giant tortoises. Clearing these areas ensures safe landings for albatrosses returning to their precious nesting area after their remarkable migratory journeys throughout the eastern Pacific Ocean.
Protecting Galápagos Petrel Nesting Areas
On Santa Cruz Island, the invasive blackberry shrubs and guava and quinine trees were cleared from 445 acres of nesting zones of the Galápagos petrel, a remarkable and endemic seabird that only nests in the flanks of volcanos in the archipelago. Our team also resumed monitoring the nesting colonies on Santiago and Isabela Islands, finding the first petrel chicks on Isabela Island in decades and providing vital data to assess their conservation status and guide long-term management strategies on both islands.
Strengthening Giant Tortoise Conservation on Isabela
In 2024, we ramped up our efforts to protect the giant tortoises of southern Isabela, which face severe threats from invasive species such as fire ants, cattle, and feral pigs. Over the course of 15 expeditions to remote nesting areas on Sierra Negra volcano, we successfully mitigated nest destruction and predation, collecting 72 eggs and 2 hatchlings. These were carefully relocated to the “Arnaldo Tupiza” Breeding Center on Isabela. This initiative, carried out for the first time in over 12 years, marks a significant step in accelerating the recovery of these unique populations.
These milestones illustrate the profound impact of Galápagos Conservancy and its partners in preserving one of the planet’s most extraordinary ecosystems. Every achievement underscores our commitment to protecting the unique biodiversity of the Galápagos Islands, ensuring this natural legacy thrives for generations to come.
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