Growing tide of plastic threatens Galápagos species

Animals live amid mounds of waste as piles of bottles, buoys, nets and packaging keep building up in what should be a pristine area

- Karen McVeigh

40% Estimated amount of plastic pollution that comes from maritime sources to the islands, double the global average

97% Of the islands are uninhabited, and thanks to protection from a marine reserve, biodiversity remains relatively undisturbed

A sour small fishing boat slows to a halt in a shallow bay south-east of Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz, in the Galápagos Islands, a green turtle surfaces next to us, followed by a second, then a third a few metres away. A spotted eagle ray glides underneath the vessel.

The skipper, Don Nelson, steps on to the black volcanic reef, slippery with algae. We follow, past exposed mangrove roots and up onto higher ground. Pelicans swooping into the trees and small birds, perching on branches, ignore our approach.

This remote archipelago still hosts the unique species such as giant tortoises and finches that inspired the naturalist Charles Darwin's theory of evolution almost two centuries ago, and it is impossible not to be struck by the apparent harmony with which animals coexist with humans here.

But then, a jarring sight: a marine iguana, a Galápagos species found nowhere else in the world, sits atop a mound of plastic litter-fishing buoys, oil drums, household containers and drinks bottles - pushed on to the reef by high spring tides. The prehistoric-looking reptile, classed as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), is among the species here most at risk from plastic.

"These reefs are resting places for pelicans and marine iguanas," said Mariana Vera, Galápagos programme manager of Conservation International. "There are a lot of turtles because it is the nesting season. It is sad to see them full of plastic."