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Galapagos Islands News

23 Jan 2024

SunStone Lines Up Multi-year Charters for Two Expedition Cruise Ships

(Photo: SunStone Maritime Group)

SunStone Maritime Group announced it has secured multi-year charters for two of its expedition cruise ships.The deals are for SunStone's Infinity Class vessels Ocean Explorer and the Ocean Odyssey, both built by China Merchants Heavy Industry (Jiangsu) and delivered in 2021 and 2022 respectively.Under its new charter agreement, Ocean Explorer will return to polar cruising in October 2024 for SunStone's long-term client Quark Expeditions. The vessel, which ran aground in a remote part of Greenland last year…

03 Jul 2023

IMO Launches Galapagos-Based Video on Biofouling

Source: IMO

The IMO has launched a video about the work of the GloFouling Partnerships project. Filmed amongst the stunning wildlife of the Galapagos, it illustrates the urgent need to tackle the threat of biofouling to vulnerable marine ecosystems and shows the work that IMO and its partners are doing to protect the precious biodiversity of the world’s oceans. The IMO's Glofouling Partnerships project team recently travelled to the Galapagos Islands, 1,000km off the coast of Ecuador, to…

24 Aug 2021

MS Otto Sverdrup: Hurtigruten's Third Battery-Hybrid Expedition Cruise Ship

MS Otto Sverdrup offers year-round expedition cruises along the spectacular Norwegian coastline, and is Hurtigruten Expeditions' third battery-hybrid powered ship. Photo: AGURTXANE CONCELLON/Hurtigruten Expeditions

When MS Otto Sverdrup departed Hamburg, Germany, on itsmaiden voyage on August 24, Hurtigruten marked off three milestones: Introduction of Hurtigruten Expeditions’ third battery-hybrid powered cruise ship; Introduction of the first year-round expedition cruises from Germany; and a return of expedition cruises after more than a year of pandemic pause.Since the very first expedition cruise in 1896, Hurtigruten Expeditions has helped to define the expedition cruise category, with today a growing fleet of smaller…

29 Jul 2021

Silversea Cruises' New Ultra-luxury Ship Christened in Greece

Credit: Silversea Cruises

Silver Moon, Silversea Cruises' newest ship in its "ultra-luxury" fleet, was christened Thursday in Athens, Greece. The naming ceremony was held in the port of Piraeus.At 40,700 gross tons and with a maximum capacity of 596 guests, Silver Moon is the cruise line’s second Muse-class ship.Constructed by Fincantieri at its Ancona shipyard, Silver Moon is an evolution of her sister ship Silver Muse, Silversea Cruises said."The ship benefits from re-imagined public spaces, butler service in all suite categories…

07 Dec 2020

Tanker Rescues 18 from Sinking Fishing Vessel

The 72-foot Ecuadorian commercial fishing vessel Romeo capsizes approximately 350 miles north of the Galapagos Islands, December 4, 2020. (Photo: U. S. Coast Guard)

A tanker vessel rescued of 18 Ecuadorians after their 72-foot commercial fishing vessel sank Friday approximately 350 miles north of the Galapagos Islands, the U.S. Coast Guard said.USCG 11th District watchstanders received an alert from an emergency position-indicating radio beacon from an unknown vessel north of the Galapagos Islands at 4:30 a.m. Friday.District watchstanders requested aerial support and notified Ecuador who began to investigate the EPIRB’s registration and…

19 Aug 2020

Many Chinese Fishing Vessels Near Galapagos Cut Off AIS, Ecuador Says

(Photo: Ecuador's Navy)

Ecuador's armed forces said on Tuesday that dozens of vessels from a predominantly Chinese fishing fleet that is operating near the Galapagos Islands have turned off tracking systems to prevent monitoring of their activities.Of around 325 ships still fishing in the waters near the ecologically sensitive Galapagos, 149 have at some point in recent months cut off communications, Navy Commander, Rear Admiral Darwin Jarrin told reporters.Some had also changed the vessels' names to avoid supervision, he said."In this period, 149 ships have turned off their satellite systems ...

10 Aug 2020

Ecuador Navy Surveils Huge Chinese Fishing Fleet Near Galapagos

(Photo: Ecuador's Navy)

Ecuador’s navy is conducting surveillance of a massive Chinese fishing fleet that is operating near the protected waters of the Galapagos Islands, amid concerns about the environmental impact of fishing in the area of the ecologically sensitive islands.The navy conducted a patrol mission on Friday that included a flyover of the region where the hulking vessels are fishing, as well as reconnaissance by military patrol ships. A total of 340 vessels are currently in the area, the navy said…

24 Jul 2020

Ecuador Monitoring Fleet of Fishing Vessels Near Galapagos

Š steheap / Adobe Stock

Ecuador is monitoring a large fleet of fishing vessels, many of them Chinese, off the Galapagos Islands and has increased patrolling to ensure the ships do not enter the area of the ecologically sensitive islands, the defense minister said on Thursday.Chinese fishing vessels appear each year near the Galapagos, attracted by marine species such as the hammerhead shark, which is in danger of extinction.A Chinese vessel in 2017 was captured in the Galapagos Marine Reserve carrying 300 tons of marine wildlife.“We are on alert, (conducting) surveillance, patrolling to avoid an incident such as what

19 May 2020

World First: Cruise Ship Piloted Remotely During Sea Trials

Silver Origin on sea trials (Photo: Silversea Cruises)

Royal Caribbean's Silversea Cruises says it is preparing to take delivery of its newest ship, Silver Origin, following a unique set of COVID-19-related challenges overcome by the shipbuilder and innovative sea trials that included world-first remote operations.The new 100-passenger ultra-luxury cruise ship was built by Dutch shipyard De Hoop, which completed construction despite setbacks brought on by the coronavirus pandemic.Silver Origin was still under construction on March 15…

12 Mar 2020

NOAA-Viking Public Private Partnership, a Win-win for Research

RENDERING OF NEW VIKING SHIP: This rendering shows what the new Viking expedition ships will look like, including the hangar for launching small vessels. Credit: Viking

There was important cruise news in January: Viking – a premier European ocean and river cruise company - will offer two new “destination-focused travel experiences,” starting in 2022. One set of cruises becomes Viking’s first foray in the inland North American market, in this case the Great Lakes. Another set of cruises will head to the Arctic and Antarctica. Viking is building two new vessels: the Viking Octantis and the Viking Polaris, under construction now in Norway, by Fincantieri’s VARD.In a press release Viking writes that it has created “the thinking person’s expedition.”  Indeed…

24 Dec 2019

Ecuador Frets Over Sunken Galapagos Barge Salvage

AdobeStock / Š SL Photography

Ecuador's environment minister, Raul Ledesma, said on Monday that a situation involving a sunken barge in the Galapagos Islands which was carrying 600 gallons of diesel is under control but added that authorities are "very concerned" about the vessel's recovery.The barge sank on Sunday after a crane at the La Predial dock of San Cristobal - the easternmost island of the Galapagos archipelago - fell while unloading cargo, Ecuador's navy said in a statement on Twitter.Located around 1…

04 Sep 2019

Expedition Cruise Market Powers Ahead

National Geographic Endurance for Lindblad. Source: Ulstein Verft AS

While nothing lasts forever, the cruise industry – and particularly the ‘expedition’ cruise sector – remain on a historic run with no indication of a near-term slowdown.The leisure travel sector, of which expedition cruising is a part, offers numerous possibilities for delivering new “experiences” unlike industrial shipping businesses (or even conventional ferry and passenger transport), which can only grow as fast as the demand in a particular sector.Though there is no precise definition of “expedition”…

14 Jul 2019

USCGC Munro's Record Cocaine Haul

The U.S. Coast Guard has released dramatic video of the moment it captured a drug smuggling vessel in the Eastern Pacific.U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Munro (WMSL-755) returned to San Diego from its maiden drug interdiction mission Thursday with a record 39,000 pounds of cocaine seized from smugglers in the Pacific Ocean.The cocaine and 933 pounds of marijuana were seized during 14 drug interdiction and disruptions off the coasts of Mexico, Central America and South America during the past three months. The drugs have a combined street value of $569 million, Coast Guard officials said. Not all of the interactions at sea resulted in seizing drugs…

21 Feb 2019

Fleet Xpress on New National Geographic Ship

National Geographic Venture 1 (Photo: Inmarsat)

Inmarsat was chosen to provide connectivity through Fleet Xpress for Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic’s new adventure cruise ship, National Geographic Venture.The expedition ship, designed to explore the coastal waters, shallow coves and fast-moving channels where wildlife congregates, completed its first cruise around the Galapagos Islands in December 2018 before moving to Baja California. It is also destined for the Pacific North West coast and Alaskan cruising in the next few months.Built by Nichols Brothers…

09 Oct 2018

Silversea Cruises Orders Three New Ships

Royal Caribbean Cruises (RCL) and Silversea Cruises announced agreements to build three new ships for Silversea Cruises, including two luxury vessels as well as a single expedition ship for the Galapagos.Silversea, the luxury and expedition cruise brand that recently joined the RCL family, signed a memorandum of understanding with German shipbuilder Meyer Werft to build two new vessels in its new Evolution Class. The first Evolution Class ship is expected to deliver in 2022.Silversea also signed a contract with Dutch shipbuilder Shipyard De Hoop to construct a new expedition vessel, named Silver Origin, that will serve the Galapagos Islands itinerary currently sailed by Silver Galapagos.

01 Feb 2017

New Land-based Solution for Vessel Traffic Monitoring

Photo: Nobeltec

According to marine navigation software firm Nobeltec, part of FURUNO Group, its new TZ Coastal Monitoring ready-made packages provide the advantages of a standard system that covers most business requirements at a fraction of what it would cost to have such a system custom-developed. The solution allows users to monitoring and identify vessels and other navigational objects, optimize port infrastructure utilization, detect illegal activity (terrorism, piracy, illegal immigration…

03 Aug 2015

Climate Change Boosts Galapagos Penguin Population

A new study compared sea surface temperatures with endangered Galapagos Penguin population counts and found that the penguin population doubled while waters cooled around their nesting islands. (Courtesy of Snowmanradio/Flickr)

Shifts in trade winds and ocean currents powered a resurgence of endangered Galapagos Penguins over the past 30 years, according to a new study led by researchers at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI). These changes enlarged a cold pool of water the penguins rely on for food and breeding—an expansion that could continue as the climate changes over the coming decades, according to the study. The Galapagos Islands, a chain of islands 1,000 kilometers west of mainland Ecuador, are home to the only penguins in the Northern Hemisphere.

23 May 2014

Dangerous Business: Ecuadorian Fishing Fleet to Fit Tracker System

Leader in satellite messaging and emergency notification technologies, Globalstar, says that its Value Added Reseller, VehSmart, of Victorville, California, has been awarded the first regional pilot project of its kind for Ecuador, which will outfit the Ecuadorian artisanal fishing fleet with life-saving satellite tracking and emergency notification devices. The project will initially outfit 4,000 small fishing boats with Globalstar's leading satellite transmitter, the SmartOne. SmartOne devices will provide Ecuadorian fishermen and women with a means for help at sea when facing a life-threatening emergency including piracy. By linking to Ecuador's National Emergency Response System…

17 Sep 2010

This Day in Coast Guard History - September 17

1882-At 2: 30 a.m., during the prevalence of a strong southerly gale upon Lake Huron, the schooner, Colonel Hathaway, lying at the wharf at South Harrisville, MI was wrenched from her moorings and driven ashore. The morning was intensely dark and rain fell in torrents, but the schooner drove so far up on the beach that her crew of five men found no difficulty in saving themselves without aid. While drifting in, she collided with the schooner Garibaldi, she too broke adrift and drove ashore. The crew of this vessel, five in number, were equally fortunate in getting ashore without trouble. Word being sent about noon to the life-saving station at Sturgeon Point (No.

21 Apr 2015

Coast Guard Drops Medical Supplies to Injured Crew

Coast Guard photo by Lt. Jude Coatello

A U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) aircrew dropped medical supplies to a Colombian fishing vessel 900 miles northwest of Galapagos Island, Sunday, the USCG informs. At approximately 10 p.m., Saturday, Coast Guard 11th District watchstanders received a call from personnel aboard the fishing vessel Sea Gem, a Colombian-flagged purse seiner, requesting medical supplies for two injured crewmembers aboard. The operator of the vessel reported they were conducting routine fishing operations in air and on water when their helicopter’s cabin caught on fire.

23 Apr 2015

Shipwreck Refloated Near the Galapagos

Photo courtesy of T&T Salvage

Grounded cargo ship Floreana was refloated by T&T Salvage on April 4, 2015 in San Cristobal, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador. Leading operations in the Galapagos Islands World Heritage Site, T&T Salvage ensured all fuel, oil and other pollutants were successfully removed prior to refloating the ship wreck that lie sunk on a rocky volcanic shoreline for over two months. The salvage team’s efforts were credited with protecting the historic and environmentally sensitive island where the HMS Beagle first landed in 1835 with naturalist Charles Darwin.

15 Jun 2011

ADM Papp Testifies on U.S. Coast Guard Security Capabilities

ADM Robert J. Subcommittee. capabilities. For more than 220 years, the U.S. Coast Guard has safeguarded the nation’s maritime interests and natural resources on our rivers and ports, in the coastal regions, on the high seas, and around the world. The Coast Guard saves those in peril and protects the nation’s maritime border, marine transportation system, natural resources, and the environment. Coast Guard men and women – active duty, reserve, civilian and auxiliarists alike – deliver premier service to the public. military force of maritime professionals whose broad legal authorities, assets, geographic diversity, and expansive partnerships provide a persistent presence in the inland waters, ports, coastal regions, and far offshore areas of operations.

15 May 2015

NYK Lynx Rescues Sailor in the Pacific Ocean

NYK Lynx, a containership operated by NYK Line, rescued one person from a sailing yacht in distress 260 nautical miles off the Galapagos Islands. The yacht had been adrift for two weeks after encountering trouble with the main engine. On May 8, NYK Lynx set out from Callao, Peru, on a course toward Manzanillo, Mexico. But while sailing through the Pacific on May 11, the ship received an alertfrom a yacht. NYK Lynx immediately set a course for the yacht — maintaining contact the entire way — and successfully rescued one person in good health in the early morning of May 12. The sailor is due to disembark NYK Lynx at the port of Manzanillo on May 15. Ship management: Columbia Shipmanagement Pte. Ltd.