Galapagos Sea Lions Mysteriously Killed

We never like to hear about animal cruelty, but we were very distressed to hear about the mysterious death of 53 sea lions in the Galapagos Islands, as the BBC reported last Tuesday. The dead animals: 13 pups, 25 young sea lions, nine males, and six females, were all found with signs that they'd received a blow to the head, yet their bodies otherwise remained intact, leading the park officials to believe that poaching was not the motive. The BBC reported:

The animals were found in a state of decomposition on Pinta island, part of the archipelago which lies about 1,000 kilometers (600 miles) off the coast of Ecuador in the Pacific Ocean. The Galapagos sea lions have no natural predators on land and generally do not fear humans.

Sea lions are a vital part of the island's ecosystem, park official Victor Carrion told the Agence France-Presse news agency. At this time, no other dead animals have been found, and park officials have increased their patrols of the areas.

This news comes as another example of the islands' vulnerability, along with last year's announcement by the UN Environment, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) that the region was "in danger."

Last week, the New York Times reported (in their first column in a new series about green travel) that the Galapagos Islands tourism increased more than 250 percent between the years 1990 and 2006. Citing a recent study by the Darwin Foundation, which discussed the changing makeup of tour operators who routinely visit the area, the paper reported:

A consequence has been that local owners cannot compete with the foreign-run companies doing business in the Galápagos. Of the $418 million generated by tourism annually, only $63 million is estimated to enter the local economy. And of the 80 tourism boats allowed to operate in the Galápagos, only about 40 percent are locally owned.

Traveler has kept a close watch on the Galapagos, reporting on the islands in our Destinations Rated scorecard (Nov/Dec 2006). Check back for updates on the islands here at IT and in the magazine's Destination Watch department.

Photo: Sleeping Sea Lions in the Galapagos, Fonimak via Flickr

Comments

[mdhatter]

That just sucks.