Brad

I was lucky enough to be invited by the Jamaica Tourist Board to visit the island and see the amazing bird watching opportunities that Jamaica has to offer. Jamaica has 28 endemic bird species (species that live only in Jamaica) and it is possible to see them all in one trip with a knowledgeable local guide. I missed a couple of them, but the trip was meant to be an overview to get me to see a number of different birding locations in Jamaica rather than personally get me to see as many birds as possible.
I, along with five other journalists who focus on bird watching topics, was put up at two of Jamaica’s finest eco-friendly hotels/ lodges during my stay. Both offer great food and accomodations while maintaining environmentally sound business practices. I enjoyed both Hotel Mocking Bird Hill and Forres Park very much. We were able to find unique birds on the grounds of both places and both were within relatively easy driving distance of some of Jamaica’s top birding habitats (for the experienced local drivers that were provided to us).
Click this link to read more about the bird watching vacation in Jamaica or click here if you just want to see the pictures from the Jamaica trip.

I recently had the opportunity to discuss the current situation in the Galapagos Islands with an acquaintance who is a professional nature photographer and who had just returned from the islands. He highlighted a number of issues that are facing the Galapagos Islands at the present time. Population pressures and the high number of tourists visiting the islands are posing a serious threat to the fragile ecosystem of the Galapagos. The most serious threat of all, however, is the perception among local Galapaguenos that the Ecuadorian government cares more for a tortoise egg than it does for the human beings who inhabit the islands. This perception is exacerbated by the Ecuadorian government’s policy of deporting people from the islands to control population pressures, while constantly increasing the limit on the number of tourists who are allowed to visit the park. Since each tourist pays a surcharge to the government, it is clear to see the motivation of those setting the policies. This is the cause of growing resentment among the people of the Galapagos Islands who feel that high-end tourism benefits rich politicians in mainland Ecuador, but does little or nothing to help the villagers climb out of poverty. Meanwhile, High-end cruise ships bring tourists to the Galapagos in a manner that prevents any interaction with the local economy. Locals say the cruise ships drop off their trash on the Galapagos and take away scarce fresh water from the islands. Something has got to give soon…

Click the link to read more about how the fragile ecosystem of the Galapagos Islands is being threatened by rising population pressures and the wrong kind of tourism.