When Charles Darwin landed on the Galapagos Islands in 1835,
they were barely inhabited.
But, today, things are very different.
Over the last quarter century, the permanent population has grown rapidly,
from 5,000 in 1980 to over 25,000 today.
This has caused problems for the national parks service,
who want to preserve the unique character of the islands.
Increasing population size is a problem, for example, here in Santa Cruz,
in Puerto Ayora, where we are now, there's no more space.
The last areas were given away already
to immigrants during the last four or five months,
so, people are living already at the borderline of the park.
In addition to the local population,
over 150,000 tourists visit the Galapagos every year,
and the numbers keep on growing.
Tourism on the Galapagos is tightly controlled by the parks service.
Some islands are totally closed off.
Wardens supervise visitors at all times within the park zone,
but there's such interest in these islands that the tourists keep on coming.
I think Galapagos should be important as a tourist area,
because one of the major purposes of protection in Galapagos
is for conservation and for education.
And it's very difficult for people to understand the problems
that occur in Galapagos in a protected area such as this
if they can't actually come here and see it with their own eyes.
The problem from tourism
isn't so much the tourist interaction with the organisms,
what is more of a concern is all the people that tourism,
as an ancillary activity, bring to the islands.
And that is a concern because the islands
cannot support large numbers of people.
So far, the parks service and its supporters
have managed to keep the big hotel chains
and the huge cruise ships at bay, but the competing pressures
of maintaining the islands unique heritage and, simultaneously,
allowing the local population to develop economically,
will always require delicate handling.
Life on the Galapagos can be difficult but, nevertheless,
scientists and conservationists regard it as a privilege to work there.
There are plenty of problems and plenty of difficult situations
and plenty of frustrations, but there are also plenty of rewards
and success and things you can say, "well, I helped to do this."
I mean, I am getting an ulcer and things like that,
I'm getting sick sometimes, because of the problems, but, well,
that's part of the job.
I mean, I prefer to be here instead of sitting at a desk in the main office.
Number one here is conservation.
Number one here, is this continuing to be not a museum and not a herbarium,
it's a living laboratory of evolution.
In the decade since Darwin's visit, the fame of the Galapagos
has spread around the world.
Much more is known about its natural history
but there's still much more work to be done.
Darwin's comment still holds true, it really is a remarkable and curious place.