Being one of the first companies in the Galapagos to offer ecotourism, Metropolitan Touring has always worked with the locals to support efforts to preserve the archipelago and its unique species. It has also consistently worked to responsibly share this amazing and special location with visitors from all over the world.
Naturalist Guides in the Galapagos: What’s the Deal?
A vital component of this continuous endeavor is undoubtedly one individual, the Naturalist Guide, who plays a significant role during your visit to the Galapagos. The regulations governing the Galapagos National Park include that a qualified naturalist guide must always accompany anyone visiting the islands. A few areas are publicly accessible, although they are limited to inhabited islands and are still subject to restrictions or oversight. However, visitors must travel with a certified Naturalist Guide in the Galapagos when visiting other uninhabited islands.
He or she is in charge of adhering to and upholding all Galapagos National Park regulations, which guarantee the safety of each visitor and the preservation and protection of the island’s unique fauna. This is done to preserve the pristine state of the Galapagos Islands’ flora and fauna.
In addition to sharing their expertise with visitors to enhance their enjoyment of the park, your naturalist guide’s responsibility is to ensure everyone abides by the National Park’s guidelines at all times.
Adhering to these regulations is relatively easy. Consider the restriction on food consumption on the islands. While this may seem like a hassle at first, most visitors abide by this guideline because we are only at each tourist site briefly, usually shortly after breakfast or lunch.
However, there is also the requirement to keep a minimum of six feet (two meters) between you and the animals at all times. It is now more challenging to implement this rule. For example, avoiding approaching a bird perched on a rock is simple. However, keeping everyone away from sea lions is nearly complicated if they are sleeping on the same beach as us. With the archipelago’s recognizable BIG15 wildlife, visitors are ecstatic (who wouldn’t be?) and eager to come closer to snap a better selfie with a sea lion youngster.
It’s normal for Naturalist Guides in the Galapagos to advise you to keep your distance from the animals gently. They do this because they observe you violating the rules, and our responsibility is to protect the animals from harm that may occur accidentally or by mistake.
How is a Naturalist Guide in the Galapagos Trained?
A Naturalist Guide in the Galapagos must complete a six-month course, pass multiple tests, and gain practical experience before obtaining a license. This is the only reason we have been sponsoring and inviting aspiring Naturalist Guides who have recently completed their training programs to come and intern on the Santa Cruz II Galapagos Cruise throughout the past month. We have had about eight trainees aboard with us over the last four weeks, and it’s funny to watch them explore the Galapagos while we, in a sense, “take them under our wing.” A few of these would-be naturalist guides are visiting the Galapagos Islands for the first time! Thus, it’s a delight for our guests and both sides of the experienced coin!
While some are much more mature and truly focus on learning from our experience and “wisdom” as seasoned Naturalist Guides in the Galapagos, others are youthful and eager to do it all at all times. However, they have all demonstrated a remarkable desire to learn and provide guidance, and they have all succeeded.
