Baltra Island, located at the center of the Galapagos Archipelago, officially became part of the Galapagos National Park (GNP) and thus part of the National System of Protected Areas of Ecuador, through Executive Decree 1784, dated June 15, 2009.

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.

CLOSURE OF COCA AIRPORT – OPERATION OF PROGRAMS IN AMAZONIA

The airport of Coca will be closed between May 4 and July 17, 2009.  During this period, the programs in Amazonia will operate as follows:

SACHA LODGE

Guests of SACHA LODGE will take TAME flights to the airport of Lago Agrio.  Sacha Lodge will provide private transfer from Lago Agrio to Coca and back (the distance between Lago Agrio and Coca is approximately one hour).

From Monday to Friday flights are:
Quito – Lago Agrio  TAME flight EQ201 departing Quito at 10:00 and arriving to Lago Agrio at 10:30
Lago Agrio – Quito  TAME flight EQ202 departing Lago Agrio at 11:00 and arriving to Quito at 11:30

On Saturdays:
Quito – Lago Agrio  TAME flight EQ207 departing Quito at 10:00 and arriving to Lago Agrio at 10:30
Lago Agrio – Quito  TAME flight EQ208 departing Lago Agrio at 11:00 and arriving to Quito at 11:30

LA SELVA JUNGLE LODGE

Guests of LA SELVA JUNGLE LODGE will use mainly VIP Airline for flights to Lago Agrio, although the same flights stated above could also be used.

Transportation Lago Agrio – Coca – Lago Agrio will be provided by the airline, but a representative of La Selva will accompany guests on this portion.

From Monday to Friday flights are:
Quito – Lago Agrio  VIP flight departing Quito at 09:15 and arriving to Lago Agrio at 09:50
Lago Agrio – Quito VIP flight departing Lago Agrio at 14:50 (2:30 PM) and arriving to Quito at 15:25 (3:25 PM)

On Saturday:
Quito – Lago Agrio VIP flight departing Quito at 7:00 and arriving to Lago Agrio at 07:35
Lago Agrio – Quito VIP flight departing Lago Agrio at 12:00 noon and arriving to Quito at 12:35

NAPO WILDLIFE CENTER

Guests of NAPO WILDLIFE CENTER will take VIP flights from Quito to Lago Agrio with the same schedule as above.   Take note that VIP airline departs from its own hangar, not from the terminal.  Transportation between Lago Agrio and Coca will be in comfortable and safe buses.

GENERAL ELECTIONS TO BE HELD IN ECUADOR ON SUNDAY, APRIL 26, 2009

Ecuador will hold general elections on April 26 to elect a president, members of the National Assembly (Parliament) as well as provincial and regional deputies. The elections of next Sunday, April 26, will complete an intensive electoral process in Ecuador, which started in 2007 when the Ecuadorians approved a Constituent Assembly mandated to draft a new constitution, which was later approved by referendum last September. The European Commission, the European Union (EU)’s executive arm, has deployed, at the request of the Ecuadorian authorities, an Election Observation Mission (EOM) to monitor the next general elections in Ecuador.

As per Ecuadorian law, no liquor can be sold, distributed or consumed between 12 noon of Friday, April 24 and 12 noon of Monday, April 27.

Santa Cruz 20% discount: May 4-June 1, Aug 17-Sept 4 & Nov 16-Dec 14

Eclipse Rates include: 2 nights hotel, Galapagos flight, Park fee & Tourist card: May 2-9, May 16-23 & May 30-June 6

Nina Discount $1000 US per person: May 5-12, May 12-19, May 19-26, June 2-9,  June 9-16

Eric, Letty & Flamingo Fuel tax included & 10% discount Aug 30-Sept 6, Sept 6-13, Sept 13-20, Sept 20-27 & Sept 27-Oct 4

Mary Anne $2800: April 29-May6, May 6-13, $3000: May 13-20, Dec 2-9, Dec 9-16, $3100: July 15-22, July 29-Aug 5, Oct 28-Nov 4

Galaxy $2250 April 1-30, $2500 May 1-31, $1500 April 7-11 & April 21-25, $1750 May 1-30

Please see http://www.galapagosreservations.com/ for more specials and up-to-date rates.

The Ecuadorian Geophysics Institute informs that La Cumbre volcano on Fernandina Island in the Galapagos has started a new eruptive process.  The island-volcano – 1476 meters high- is not inhabited and located 90 Kms. to the northwest of Puerto Villamil the closest village on Isabela Island, so there is no danger for the human population.

The current eruptive process started during the night of April 10 and was reported by the park wardens and by a tour boat which was in the vicinity.  Lava flows have been observed, coming from a lateral fissure located 500 meters below the crater at the southwest side of the island, close to Cape Hammond.  This is a radial fissure 200 meters long and 10 meters wide that reaches up to 15 meters high.  There is also a large column of smoke.

The volcano of Fernandina Island erupted five years ago, without causing major damage to the flora and fauna of the area.

Tour excursions to Punta Espinoza on Fernandina Island have not been suspended; authorities of the Galapagos National Park are closely monitoring the developments to determine that it is safe to continue with them.