Galapagos a Natural Heritage Site

The archipelago is a Natural Heritage Site and it is a worldwide interest for its conservation and management

It is remarked by its amazing species nowhere else to be found and the scientific value as an evolution laboratory. It has been maintained almost intact, keeping most of its native species and environment. The problem is that what makes the archipelago so especial also makes it very fragile. It is a delicate world that has created itself isolated because of this.

The Galapagos National Park is the biggest protected area in Ecuador (7995 km2) together with the Marine Reserve, the second biggest of the world (133.000 km2). Today, 97% of the surface of the Galapagos corresponds to the protected area, and 3% is part of the human development establishments.

It was declared National Park by the Ecuadorian government in 1959, and simultaneously in Belgium, the Charles Darwin Foundation for the Galapagos was formed and marked the centennial celebration of the publication of Darwin’s Origin of the Species. After that, in 1978 it was declared Natural Heritage Site by the UNESCO, in 1990 it was named Whales Sanctuary and in 2001, the Marine Reserve was included.