I want to find out more about Galapagos
Learn about the unique wildlife and history of the Galapagos Islands, and the conservation challenges that now threaten the Archipelago.
About Galapagos
30 years of Galapagos Conservation Trust
We have celebrated some amazing conservation success stories over the last three decades, and we are incredibly proud of what we have achieved with your help.
What would you like to do?
I want to find out about GCT’s work
Find out how our projects are helping to restore degraded island habitats, conserve threatened species and protect the seas around Galapagos.
Our work
I want to support GCT
Support our conservation work in Galapagos by becoming a member, donating to an appeal, adopting an animal, attending an event or entering our photography competition.
Support us
What we do
Galapagos Conservation Trust was founded in 1995 and is the only UK-registered charity to focus exclusively on the conservation and sustainable development of the Galapagos Archipelago and its unique biodiversity. We work with scientists, authorities, NGOs and local communities to tackle key threats to the unique biodiversity of Galapagos, including invasive species, plastic pollution, climate change and overfishing. Together with our project partners we gather the evidence needed for maximum conservation outcomes, whilst ensuring strong educational and communications campaigns garner public and political support for interventions.
Our impact
85 p
in every £1 we raise goes directly towards conservation in Galapagos
18.9 %
of Ecuadorian waters are now protected
£ 1.8 m
raised in 2023 – our best year yet
30 %
by 2030 – our goal for ocean protection
Plastic Pollution Free Galapagos
45% of all plastic used along the Pacific coastline of South and Central America is inadequately managed, leaking 1 million tonnes of plastic each year.
Our Plastic Pollution Free Galapagos programme is a multi-million pound, multi-year project, which feeds into broader work looking to tackle pollution across the Eastern Pacific region.
Restoring Floreana
Floreana is the sixth largest island in Galapagos and used to be home to some of the most iconic species in the Archipelago.
We are supporting partners to undertake one of the most complex eradication projects ever conducted on an inhabited tropical island, with the ultimate aim of reintroducing locally extinct species.
Galapagos Whale Shark Project
The whale shark is the world's largest fish, reaching lengths of up to 20 metres, yet surprisingly little is known about it.
By tagging individual whale sharks, the project team hopes to build a robust set of data about their migration behaviour, to determine what action is needed to protect this magnificent ocean giant.
Galapagos Tortoise Movement Ecology
Driven to extinction on some islands and the brink of extinction on others, tortoises are slowly recovering, but remain threatened.
The major threats to giant tortoises all stem from anthropogenic causes. Only through a human understanding of their ecological needs can landscape planning successfully conserve their numbers.
The latest from our blog
Ocean protection
GCT at the United Nations Ocean Conference
After an amazing week at the UN Ocean Conference (UNOC3) in Nice, Jess Howard reflects on what she learned, shared and felt during an event dedicated to the future of our oceans.
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Evolution and genetics
Island restoration
Aldabra and Galapagos giant tortoises: A shared evolutionary story
We take a look at the parallel histories of Aldabra and Galapagos giant tortoises, and the ways in which both are now helping to restore island ecosystems.
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Evolution and genetics
History of Galapagos
On the Origin of Natural Selection Webinar 2025
At our webinar on 27 May, Dr Henry Nicholls discussed the importance of Galapagos to Charles Darwin and the impact that his thinking has had on how we see the Islands today.
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Tourism
A responsible traveller’s guide to booking a Galapagos holiday
Whether you're planning a cruise, a land-based tour or a diving expedition, it's important to make sure that you're booking your Galapagos holiday with a responsible operator.
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Join us today
Become a member from just £4 a month and support our vital conservation work in Galapagos.
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