WATER POLLUTION IN THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS CAUSED

BY THE GROUNDING OF SHIPS IN THEIR SURROUNDINGS.

By Esteban Medina Lemos

DECEMBER 2, 2020
ESL READING I & ESL ACADEMIC DISCUSSION I
Hudson County Community College
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The Galapagos Islands are the second largest marine reserve on the planet and were declared a
World Heritage Site in 1978 by UNESCO. They constitute an archipelago in the Pacific Ocean
located 1000 km off the coast of Ecuador. It is made up of thirteen large islands, nine medium
islands and another 107 small islets, as well as rocky headlands, distributed around the equator. It
has a large number of flora and fauna species that are very sensitive to changes in the ecosystem
and pollution.

Figure 1. Aerial view of the Galapagos Islands, Marine Reserve and World Heritage Site. Recovered from
https://www.efeverde.com/noticias/islas-galapagos-emergencia-buque-encallado/

Figure 2. Oil spill in the sea.

Figure 3. Fauna affected by the oil spill.

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Being located far from the continental territory, one of its main activities is tourism, receiving
approximately 200,000 tourists per year. In order to carry out this activity in Galapagos and meet
the needs of tourists and inhabitants, the hotel industry has been developed and supply by sea.
The groundings have highlighted the risks posed by the hotel industry on board ships and the
transport of cargo within a protected area. However, it is inevitable, since the 25,000 inhabitants
of Galapagos and the 200,000 tourists it receives per year depend on the supply of the continent.
Despite the safety regulations that govern the navigation of these ships and the care and training
of the personnel on board, given the conditions of the seabed around the islands, there is a constant
risk of grounding or stranding of these ships, which spill hydrocarbons into the sea.
Hydrocarbons are pollutants that significantly affect water quality. Oil spills are more frequent
every day; they leave trails of contamination with very long-term effects. The formations of an
impermeable film on the water in the spill areas quickly and directly affect birds and aquatic
mammals since they obstruct the gas exchange and deflect the light rays that the phytoplankton
take advantage of to carry out the photosynthesis process.
The Ecuadorian authorities such as the Emergency Operations Committee of the Secretariat for
Risk Management, the Ecuadorian Navy and the private company are in charge of taking the
pertinent actions to prevent the grounding of a vessel from causing irrecoverable damage to the
marine reserve caused by fuel and toxic substance spillage.

Figure 4. The cargo ship “Galapaface I” remains stranded on a rocky and sandy bed on San Cristobal Island.
Retrieved from https://elpais.com/internacional/2014/05/23/actualidad/1400806152_098644.html
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Figure 5. Cargo ship 'Galapaface I' runs aground in Galapagos. Retrieved from
https://www.eluniverso.com/noticias/2014/05/15/nota/2965696/galapagos-estado-emergencia-debido-buque-
encalado

Figure 6. Evacuation of 16 thousand gallons of fuel from the ship “Galapaface I” when it ran aground on the coast of
San Cristobal. Retrieved from https://www.eluniverso.com/noticias/2014/05/12/nota/2952131/14-mil-galones-
diesel-extraidos-galapaface-i
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Figure 7. The Galapagos Majestic ship was wrecked on Friday, May 31, 2019. Retrieved from
https://www.elcomercio.com/actualidad/buque-naufragio-galapagos-rescate-marina.html

Figure 8. After almost six hours of assistance, the Galapagos Majestic ship ended up sinking with 200 gallons of
diesel. Recovered from https://www.elcomercio.com/actualidad/buque-naufragio-galapagos-rescate-marina.html
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Figure 9. Vessel “Floreana” aground on January 28, 2015 in the harbor of Puerto Baquerizo Moreno. Retrieved from
https://www.eluniverso.com/noticias/2015/04/07/nota/4744311/hunden-buque-floreana-que-encallo-cerca-puerto-
baquerizo-moreno

Figure 10. Moments in which the vessel “Floreana” was sunk outside the Galapagos Marine Reserve. Retrieved
from https://www.eluniverso.com/noticias/2015/04/07/nota/4744311/hunden-buque-floreana-que-encallo-cerca-
puerto-baquerizo-moreno