We have been informed that due to some logistical problems, the Lago Agrio airport authorities had to change flight schedules for Sacha Lodge and Napo Wildlife Center.

The new flight schedules for SACHA LODGE are:

Monday to Friday:                                               Saturdays:

QUITO-LAGO AGRIO-COCA                 QUITO-LAGO AGRIO-COCA

Flight Tame EQ211                                              Flight Tame EQ207

Departs Quito:09h30                                          Departs Quito: 10h00

Arrives Lago Agrio:10h00                                  Arrives Lago Agrio:10h30

COCA-LAGO AGRIO-QUITO                 COCA-LAGO AGRIO-QUITO

Flight Tame EQ214                                              Flight Tame EQ212

Departs Lago Agrio: 12h30                                Departs Lago Agrio: 13h00

Arrives Quito:13h00                                           Arrives Quito: 13h30

The new flight schedules for NAPO WILDLIFE CENTER are:

Monday to Friday:                                                               Saturdays:

QUITO-LAGO AGRIO-COCA                                 QUITO-LAGO AGRIO-COCA

Flight VIP – D 328 aircraft, for 31 pax                             Flight VIP – D 328 aircraft, for 31 pax

Departs Quito: 07h55                                                         Departs Quito: 07h00

Arrives Lago Agrio: 08h30                                                 Arrives Lago Agrio:07h35

COCA-LAGO AGRIO-QUITO                                 COCA-LAGO AGRIO-QUITO

Flight VIP – D 328 aircraft, for 31 pax                             Flight VIP – D 328 aircraft, for 31 pax

Departs Lago Agrio: 14h50                                                Departs Lago Agrio: 12h00

Arrives Quito:15h25                                                           Arrives Quito: 12h35

As previously advised a transfer service using comfortable and safe ground transportation will be provided from Lago Agrio to Coca and vice versa.

By Matt McGrath
Science reporter, BBC News

The famous Galapagos giant tortoises could be at serious risk from mosquitoes that have developed a taste for reptile blood, experts have warned. Scientists say increased tourism means there is now a greater risk of a disease-carrying insect being transported to the islands. Local mosquitoes that have evolved to feed on reptiles could then pick up the diseases and pass them on. Galapagos wildlife has little immunity to mosquitoes due to their isolation.

The world’s largest living tortoises are an icon of evolution, growing so large on the isolated islands because of the absence of natural predators. But recent observations by scientists suggest that it is the evolution of mosquitoes that could now pose a very real threat to island wildlife. On the mainland of South America, the insects prefer to bite mammals but they have adapted their behaviour to favour reptile blood on the Galapagos.

Increasing tourism means there is now a concern about the arrival of infected mosquitoes carrying diseases like avian malaria and West Nile fever, against which giant tortoises and marine iguanas have no immunity.

The study was published in the US journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Arnaud Bataille from the University of Leeds in the UK carried out the research. He said that mosquitoes arrived on the Galapagos 200,000 years ago and were not introduced by humans as previously thought. But he said when the mosquitoes first arrived on the islands, the only mammals were sea lions.

“It [the mosquito] was looking for some blood. What it was going to find is these huge reptiles and marine iguanas, so I think it gave it a go and liked it a lot,” he said. In an effort to cut the risk of mosquitoes and other insects being transported to the islands, the Ecuadorian government now require planes flying to the Galapagos to be sprayed with insecticide. Similar measures have yet to be introduced on ships.

The luxury yacht Nina is offering a 2 for 1 special for Sept  1-8, 2009! More information on this yacht is available at http://www.discovergalapagos.com/Nina/

The Athala II is also offering a 2 for 1 special for Sept 1-8 and Sept 26-Oct 3, 2009. Please see http://www.discovergalapagos.com/Athala/ for more information and a link to the booking form for both.

These specials will not last long!!

The National Park Service together with other relevant institutions in the Galapagos Islands have announced the following preventive measures at all main entry points to the Galapagos Islands in order to protect the fragile ecosystem from a possible infection with Swine flu.

- All employees at the airports and ports must use disposable gloves and masks

- Foot disinfection at the arrival gate of the airports in Baltra and San Cristobal and at the docks while embarking and disembarking- All arrival halls will be fumigated with a wide spectrum disinfectant prior to the arrival of each aircraft

- Any waste material must remain on board the aircraft and cannot be unloaded in the islands

- All passengers arriving to the islands must disinfect their hands with alcohol prior to leaving the arrival halls

Furthermore, the Ministry of Tourism is working closely with the private sector of tourism in order to centralize all the important and correct information regarding the measures that tour operators should take into consideration for their daily operations. Currently they are in the process of elaborating a leaflet that will be distributed to all service providers and arriving tourists.

International arrivals to Ecuador are currently limited to the main airports in Quito and Guayaquil; secondary airports are temporarily closed as a preventive measure. At this moment Ecuador & the Galapagos Islands have not reported any infected persons.

We will keep you updated about future developments.

QUITO, April 29 (Xinhua) — Ecuador on Wednesday declared a national state of emergency and barred foreigners who have been in Mexico from arriving in the country on commercial flights as a precaution against swine flu, officials have said.

According to a decree signed by President Rafael Correa, the state of emergency will last 60 days starting from Wednesday. The decree also ordered the Internal and External Security Ministry to coordinate with the Committee of Emergency Operations (COE) and the Health Ministry to take necessary measures to contain the spread of the swine flu virus.

Meanwhile, the authorities also suspended charter flights to and from Mexico to prevent the spread of the virus. Aviation officials have notified airlines that passengers who have been in Mexico will not be allowed into Ecuador, although Ecuadoreans will be allowed to return home. Travelers who want to enter the country from Mexico have to be closely monitored for flu symptoms.

Ecuador has not confirmed any swine flu cases. The authorities are carrying out medical checks on travelers arriving from Mexico and the southwest United States and have placed regional hospitals under alert to monitor for symptoms.