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W: What first led you to the Galapagos Islands?
M: I grew up near Charles Darwin’s house in Kent, and I’d been fascinated by the Galapagos since learning about them at school. The significance of Darwin’s visit there left an impression on me. I intended to travel after university and applied to be a naturalist guide for an Englishman who ran yacht cruises around the islands. After much persistence, I got the job. Back then, the islands were very remote, a 5 hour flight from the mainland of Ecuador.
W: Why did you decide to found the company?
M: After working for more than a year in the Galapagos, T backpacked the length and breadth of South America, taking photographs and exploring wildness areas. Back in England, I found it difficult to settle into regular work, so ended up as a freelance tour leader and photographer. In 1985, 1 returned to the Galapagos to research tourism and decided to establish my own company.
W: And what makes your company unique?
M: I was one of the pioneers. We used locally owned boats and environmentally sound lodges from the start. We only take small groups and have a low impact philosophy. As well as British leaders, we employ the best local guides. We contribute to local conservation organizations and offer clients membership of the Galapagos Conservation Trust.
W: What measures do you take to minimize your tours’ effect on the environment?
M: People think that taking tourists to wild regions is destructive, however, it’s tourism that helps protect the Galapagos and the Amazon, provided it’s done in an environmentally sound way. Tourists have to adhere to strict national park rules. There are limits on tourist members and licensed operators that have been imposed by the national parks authorities. Tourism is the only sustainable way of generating an income for the inhabitants. The problem is that the local population is growing rapidly and politicians are more worried about votes than limiting immigration.
W: What do you think are currently the biggest threats to the Galapagos?
M: Illegal fishing and introduced organisms. Fishing is prohibited in the marine reserve, but this is ignored by sea-cucumber, shark-fin and long line industrial fishermen. Local authorities have given in to the fishing lobby and sadly it’s the thin end of the wedge. Each year they demand more and get it. The other threat is the introduction of non-native plants and animals. I’ve noticed over the past 20 years that on the inhabited islands, native plants have been eclipsed by introduced ones.
W: How do you think tourism can benefit endangered areas such as the Galapagos?
M: Tourism is by far the less of all evils, compared to fishing or logging and provided it’s controlled, it can be a positive force. Every tourist who goes there is a potential ambassador for conservation and contributes directly and indirectly to preservation. Our tour leaders make passengers aware of the responsibilities of visiting the islands, and make sure that they take home a sense of wonder of the place. We hope that many will continue to support our conservation partners.
W: What type of people sign up for your expeditions? Do you have any typical client?
M: We don’t really call them expeditions, more like ’ soft adventures’. Generally, on our escorted trips, clients are ’ mature’, middle-aged to retire. They like nature, botany, bird-watching and local culture. Our trips can attract folk from all walks of life, but usually those who respect nature. The accessibility of once remote places has meant that now, there is a class of tourists who just wants to tick places off on a list. I’d rather they go elsewhere.
W: How do you select your trips?
M: Biodiversity is the key. Our most popular trip goes to the jungle of the Amazon headwaters, the cloud forest and high Andes and then finishes with a Galapagos cruise. In a couple of weeks, we can see various kinds of birds—not mention orchids, butterflies and the odd mammal and that’s before we even get to the Galapagos.
W: So do you have any plans to expand the company further?
M: A timely question, because we now offer tours elsewhere in Latin America. We’re giving our company a new name, Select Latin America. The idea is to select partners in each country to pick the best wildlife and culture destinations.
W: Thank you very much for being with us, Mr. Howell.
M: My pleasure.