There is only one place like Galápagos. And there are species here the world cannot afford to lose.
🩷 Around 300 pink iguanas survive on a single volcanic slope.
🌊 Waved Albatross travel thousands of miles across the Pacific to return home and nest.
🦈 Scalloped hammerhead sharks rely on Galápagos as one of their last strongholds.
🐢 And this year alone, we’ve seen giant tortoises return to the wild for the first time in more than 180 years — a reminder that recovery is possible.
This Endangered Species Day, we’re reflecting on both the fragility of these ecosystems and the progress conservation can make possible.
Thank you for caring about this remarkable place and the wildlife that call it home. 💚
#EndangeredSpeciesDay #Galapagos #ProtectGalapagos #WildlifeConservation #Biodiversity
During the workshop “Co-creating a Coordinated Roadmap for the Conservation of the Pink Iguana,” held on May 7 and 8, representatives from the Galápagos National Park Directorate, Fundación Jocotoco, Galapagos Conservancy, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Island Conservation, and other technical partners gathered on Santa Cruz Island to assess the current status of this emblematic species and jointly develop a roadmap for the years ahead.
Through participatory sessions, attendees identified priority threats such as invasive species, low genetic diversity, illegal trafficking, natural events, as well as funding and governance challenges. Participants also worked on defining strategic actions, indicators, and coordination mechanisms to strengthen the implementation of the species’ Management Plan.
During the workshop, partners also highlighted positive progress in meeting key indicators established in the Pink Iguana Conservation Plan, including advances in invasive species control efforts and the detection of new age classes and size ranges of Pink Iguanas, providing encouraging signs for the species’ conservation.
Strengthening the conservation of the Pink Iguana requires coordinated action, science-based approaches, and shared decision-making.
📹 @bryanperez.ph & @parquegalapagos
#pinkiguana #conservation
La bioseguridad es la primera línea de defensa de Galápagos.
Cada acción de control, monitoreo y prevención es clave para evitar la introducción de especies que pueden alterar el equilibrio de este ecosistema único.
Este esfuerzo conjunto entre FIAS - FEIG, @galapagos_abg , @galapagosconservancy y el Banco Alemán #KfW fortalece capacidades en territorio y apuesta por soluciones sostenibles a largo plazo.
En la isla de Santa Cruz - Galápagos, se llevó a cabo la firma del convenio de coejecución entre la Agencia de Bioseguridad de Galápagos (ABG), Galápagos Conservancy y el Fondo de Inversión Ambiental Sostenible (FIAS), para la implementación del proyecto “Estandarización de las estaciones cuarentenarias para la protección de la biodiversidad de las islas Galápagos”, financiado por Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau – Banco Alemán (KfW).
Este esfuerzo conjunto busca consolidar un sistema integral, moderno y eficiente de prevención, inspección y control cuarentenario, en concordancia con el Plan de Manejo de Control de Especies Invasoras del archipiélago.
A través de esta iniciativa se fortalecerán los filtros de inspección de la ABG mediante nueva infraestructura y equipamiento, se robustecerán las acciones de control de especies introducidas para reducir el riesgo de ingreso, y se impulsará la identificación rápida y efectiva de especies exógenas. Además, se desarrollarán campañas de comunicación, así como mecanismos y estrategias que garanticen la eficacia de las acciones de bioseguridad, junto con un sólido sistema de monitoreo y evaluación del proyecto.
El convenio, con un monto de inversión de USD 2.9 millones, que será entregado a la Agencia de Bioseguridad para Galápagos, fue suscrito por Juan Andrés Delgado, Director Ejecutivo del FIAS; Mariela Cedeño, Directora Ejecutiva de la ABG; y Gabriela Vivas y Jorge Carrión, autoridades de Galápagos Conservancy.
Este paso reafirma el valor de la articulación interinstitucional y la cooperación internacional alemana como pilares clave para proteger uno de los ecosistemas más frágiles y valiosos del planeta.
📸: @galapagosconservancy
40 years ago, we made a commitment to protect one of the most extraordinary places on Earth.
Today, that commitment is still alive.
Giant tortoises are returning to islands where they once disappeared. Ecosystems are beginning to recover. And conservation in Galápagos is not just possible, it’s working.
The most important chapters are still ahead, and they depend on all of us.
Be part of what comes next. 💚
#Galapagos #Conservation #GalapagosConservancy ##WildlifeConservation
What does rewilding look like?
In Galápagos, it looks like giant tortoises returning home. Land iguanas being translocated to where ecosystems need them most. Our conservation team in the field, monitoring endangered species and restoring balance.
On World Rewilding Day, we celebrate the work happening across the islands to bring ecosystems back to life.
Rewilding is not just about bringing species back. It’s about restoring the role they play in nature.
And we’re making it happen.
Want more rewilding updates from Galápagos? Subscribe to our newsletter at the link in bio!
#WorldRewildingDay #Galapagos #Rewilding #Conservation
Happy 28th Anniversary to the Galápagos Marine Reserve 🌊
For 28 years, these protected waters, spanning over 70,000 square miles, have safeguarded one of the most unique marine ecosystems on Earth.
From sharks and sea turtles to rays and marine mammals, the reserve protects critical habitats, migration routes, and breeding grounds that keep Galápagos thriving.
At Galápagos Conservancy, we’re proud to support science and conservation efforts in the islands that help protect this extraordinary ocean that sustains them.
🔗 Learn more at the link in bio.
#GalapagosMarineReserve #MarineConservation #Galapagos #OceanProtection #ConservationInAction
In Galápagos, waste can become something meaningful ♻️
On World Recycling Day, we’re spotlighting Mayra Hernández, one of our WISE Grantees, and her project Upcycling Galápagos.
Her first milestone: a community mural made entirely from recycled bottle caps.
But this is more than art. It’s a reminder that small actions like reducing plastic use and reusing materials can make a real difference for the islands and protect Galápagos wildlife.
Through creativity and community participation, projects like this are helping build a culture of environmental stewardship in Galápagos.
💚 One mural. Thousands of bottle caps. A shared commitment to protect these islands.
#WorldRecyclingDay #Galapagos #Recycling #Upcycling #CommunityAction
A sea lion pup’s whiskers can tell scientists where its mother finds food. 🌊
In Galápagos, researchers are studying whiskers, pup health, and population trends to understand how sea lions and fur seals survive in unpredictable habitats.
Both species are endangered, and events like El Niño can quickly reduce the fish they depend on. But long-term monitoring led by the Galápagos National Park Directorate, Galápagos Conservancy, and researchers from Universidad San Francisco de Quito is helping scientists understand how these marine mammals adapt to a changing ocean.
Even more inspiring: led by Dr. Diego Páez, local students are joining scientists in the field, learning how conservation research protects the wildlife of their islands.
Every data point brings us closer to protecting these coastal guardians.
🦭 Learn more at the link in bio.
#Galapagos #SeaLions #OceanConservation #WildlifeScience
In Galápagos, evolution has a postcode. 📍🗺
Each giant tortoise species evolved to match the ecosystem of the island, or even the volcano, it calls home. From lush highlands to dry, cactus-filled landscapes, those conditions shaped their bodies over thousands of years.
🌧️ Dome-shaped shells evolved on wetter islands, where food grows close to the ground.
🌵 Saddleback shells developed on drier islands, helping tortoises stretch their necks to reach scarce vegetation.
Even their movement patterns and behavior differ from island to island, and that’s why protecting each population matters. When a species is lost, an entire evolutionary story disappears with it.
Protecting giant tortoises means protecting diversity shaped by place, and the future of Galápagos itself.
Can you guess which is which? 🐢
Join our monthly newsletter to learn more about Galápagos. From the islands, to your inbox! #GalapagosConservancy #Galapagos #GalapagosIslands #GiantTortoises
In Galápagos, biodiversity isn’t abstract, it’s alive in every landscape.
From giant tortoises shaping volcanic landscapes, to sea lions along lava shores, to seabirds returning to nest year after year, the islands remain one of the most biologically distinct places on Earth.
That didn’t happen by chance. It’s the result of intentional, sustained conservation.
At Galápagos Conservancy, we focus on work that restores ecosystems and safeguards endemic species, from island restoration to marine protection and applied science in the field. The recent return of giant tortoises to Floreana after 180 years is a powerful reminder of what long-term conservation can accomplish.
This World Wildlife Day, we recognize both the extraordinary diversity of life in Galápagos and our shared responsibility to protect it. 💚
#WorldWildlifeDay #Galapagos #ProtectWhatMatters #Conservation
What does it take to protect a seabird that nests underground in the Galápagos highlands? 🌿
For the Critically Endangered Galápagos Petrel, it starts with its habitat.
These seabirds return to the islands’ highlands to dig burrows and raise their chicks. But invasive vegetation can block access to nesting areas, crowd out native plants, and reduce breeding success.
That’s why our conservation team is working to remove invasive plant species and restore native vegetation in key nesting areas. By rebuilding healthy habitat, we’re helping give petrel chicks a stronger chance of survival.
During Invasive Species Week, we’re highlighting the steady, hands-on work that strengthens the islands from the ground up.
Join us in helping Galápagos thrive!
#Galapagos #GalapagosConservancy #InvasiveSpeciesWeek
