Ecuador will join the International Whaling Commission this year
Sea Shepherd confirmed that Ecuador will re-incorporate to the International Whaling Commission. The country participated in the encounter that took place in Anchorage, Alaska, this past May 2007.

About two to three thousand whales are born every year at the Ecuadorian Coast. During the austral winter (June-October), humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) migrate from the Antarctic to tropical waters off Ecuador and Colombia for breeding. The reason why these whales look for Ecuadorian waters to breed is because the calves need to be born in a warm environment, since they have a thin isolating layer. More than 25.000 tourists visit the Ecuadorian coast every year in order to enjoy whalewatching in their natural environment. Only in the coasts of Puerto Lopez, Salinas and Sua, without counting Galapagos, $3- $7 million are generated each year through whalewatching and related tourist activities.

Sea Shepherd was established in 1977 with the purpose of putting an end to the destruction and killing of ocean wildlife, to conserve and protect its ecosystems and species. Its founder and president, Captain Paul Watson, is also the founder of Greenpeace. In Galapagos, where the Marine Reserve was declared a Whale Sanctuary, Sea Shepherd has collaborated with the National Park Service since the year 2000, with control and vigilance. More than 5.000 shark fins have been confiscated in the Galapagos Marine Reserve. Today, Sea Shepherd is also developing Environmental Education Projects on the Islands. This support has been decisive to the decision of the country of joining the International Whaling Commission.

Contact: Sean O´Hearn Gimenez,
Email: galapagos@seashepherd.org
www.seashepherd.org

This Month´s Natural Main Events in Galapagos

• Sea birds are active, especially blue-footed boobies on Española.
• Flightless cormorants court and nest on Fernandina.
• It’s possible to find oystercatchers nesting on Puerto Egas.
• Lava lizards initiate mating rituals until November.
• Whales are more likely to be observed, especially off the Western coast of Isabela.

Max temperature         24.6 ºC / 76 ºF
Min temperature          19.8 ºC / 68 ºF
Hours of clear skies     2.8 hours
Sea temperature          22 ºC / 72 ºF

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