Observing a sea turtle swimming between lids of tubs, pieces of cloth and other plastic waste right on the Puerto Ayora dock was the harbinger of the difficult panorama that was seen in the coastal cleaning day that took place on September 18 in Galapagos.
Park rangers and volunteers got up very early to organize cleaning tasks at 21 sites in the archipelago. One of the sectors visited was Punta Rocafuerte , which is about 40 minutes by boat to the south of Santa Cruz Island.
Accessing the place is complex and an experienced captain is needed to anchor the boat and disembark. At the site the crystalline waters, volcanic rocks and mangroves merge into a unique landscape. However, it was enough to walk 100 meters inside to verify a harsh reality.
Plastic bottles, lids, ropes, sugar sacks, fishing nets, the remains of a chair and even earrings were found scattered around the site mixed with the environment . “We will take the bags, we will put on gloves and classify by material: plastic, glass, metal”, was one of the indications given by one of the park rangers who was on the route.
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