One of the most extraordinary experiences I’ve had as a marine biologist was when we were tracking lobsters on Wolf Island in the Galápagos Islands in 2003. The work occurred at night, so I used to take a nap after lunch. One day, I was still asleep in my pyjamas when suddenly, someone came running to tell me there was a whale shark under the boat. I thought they were joking, and tried to ignore them, but they kept insisting, and when I looked over the deck, sure enough, there it was. I was so excited that I just jumped into the water. The crew passed me a diving mask, and I spent the next 45 minutes swimming around in my pyjamas with a juvenile whale shark. I started asking myself where it had come from and where it was going. Years later, I would discover that juvenile whale sharks are actually quite rare in the Galápagos. Most whale sharks here are large adult females, and we still don’t know why!

The natural environment has always fascinated me. Initially, I wanted to become an ornithologist because I love birds. I never saw myself as a marine scientist until I was about sixteen when we went on a school trip to the north of Spain. We spent a week in Galicia doing science work on the seashore and boats, which changed everything for me. After finishing my PhD in Ocean Science in 2001, I came to the Galápagos, and I’ve been involved in research here ever since.  

I joined the 2024 Greenpeace Galápagos expedition on the Arctic Sunrise to help gather information on the variety of fish and larger marine life that live in the oceans around the Galápagos Marine Reserve. The open ocean is much more vulnerable than we thought, and we need a baseline to measure change and improve the conservation of this area. 

The primary goal of this expedition was to track sharks around the Galápagos Marine Reserve and understand to what extent they live inside protected waters and move out to unprotected waters. In this region, there are several endangered or critically endangered migratory species that we’re interested in, like hammerhead sharks, which move between the Galápagos Island and Cocos Island along a swimway called the Cocos Ridge. 

Human activities like overfishing, poaching, or ship strikes directly impact these creatures, and there are things we can do about these dangers. By studying the populations, habitats, and migratory routes of the affected species, we can create areas to protect them. 

The historic Global Ocean Treaty is a tool countries can use, but they must first ratify it as quickly as possible. The Treaty can only be brought to life once at least 60 governments have written it into their national laws. 

If we’re serious about protecting 30% of the world’s oceans by 2030, political leaders must prioritise Treaty ratification or time will run out. Leaders come and go, but the ones who ratify the Treaty will leave a legacy of lasting impact for generations to come. 

The oceans not only provide a home to many incredible species, but they’re also extremely important in regulating the climate. There is no green without blue. The high seas comprise over 60% of the world’s oceans, and whether we think about them or not, they are relevant to our daily lives. Oceanographers recently discovered that Galápagos can affect the climate as far away as the United Kingdom thanks to a system of currents  that transports heat throughout the oceans.

We’re one little blue planet floating in the middle of a vast, cold emptiness of space. Without the oceans, there is no life on Earth; that’s why we simply cannot fail to protect them.

Alex Hearn is a Professor of Marine Biology at Universidad San Francisco de Quito in Ecuador and co-founder of the Galápagos Whale Shark Project and MigraMar. 

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Isabela Island, Ecuador – Scientists on a Greenpeace expedition in the Galápagos Marine Reserve believe they have found what could be the first known smooth hammerhead shark nursery in the region after observing several young pups. For the first time in the Galápagos, the team was also able to track a subadult smooth hammerhead, which they named after the actress and ocean ambassador Alba Flores.

The Galápagos is famous for its aggregations of adult scalloped hammerhead sharks (Sphyrna lewini), but the smooth hammerhead (Sphyrna zygaena) is rarely observed and has never been tracked until now.[1] After several observations and documentations of juvenile smooth hammerheads in a small bay at Isabela Island, scientists now believe that this could be the first known nursery for smooth hammerheads in the archipelago.

Alex Hearn from Universidad San Francisco de Quito and MigraMar, lead scientist on the expedition, said: “This is an amazing discovery! Not only is this species rarely reported here, but in this bay we have found numerous young-of-the-year, suggesting that this might be a nursery site.”

Paola Sangolquí, Marine Coordinator at Jocotoco Conservation Foundation, said: “The Galápagos Marine Reserve never stops surprising me. This finding shows us the importance of protecting the reserve and its surrounding waters. I hope all the information collected throughout this six weeks expedition will help to make a strong case for the ratification of the high seas treaty and the protection of migratory species, who don’t know about boundaries.”

To be confirmed as a bona fide nursery site, three criteria need to be fulfilled – first, there must be more shark pups here than in surrounding areas; second, the sharks must reside at the site for extended periods of time, and third, the site must be used by successive generations of pups.

Alex Hearn said: “If we can learn why the smooth hammerhead pups use this particular location, we can make predictions about where else we might find them across the region. Here in Galapágos, the sharks are protected, but this is not the case when they, as a migratory species, leave the reserve. If we can map the sharks’ key habitats, we can take steps to push for more protected areas in the high seas, where these sharks migrate, to avoid them being caught in the first place.” 

The science team were able to fit a satellite tracking device to a subadult smooth hammerhead – a female they named “Alba” after the actress and ocean conservation advocate Alba Flores, who was on board the Greenpeace ship Arctic Sunrise during its first week in the Galapágos. As the scientists track Alba the shark’s movements, they will be able to assess her vulnerability if she leaves the protected waters of the Galapágos Marine Reserve. 

Alba Flores, best-known for playing Nairobi in the hit Netflix series Money Heist, said: “I am still very moved by my experience in the Galapágos. Knowing that a shark now bears my first name is a humbling thought and an important symbol for me which commits me to protecting the oceans even more. I’m determined to continue to speak out on the subject and support the people who work every day to defend this amazing wildlife.”

Sharks are key species to keep the balance in fish populations in the ocean, they help keep the food chain in the right track controlling prey populations. This prevents overgrazing and therefore biodiversity. Hammerhead sharks are also sensitive to changes in their environment, making them indicator species for the health of marine ecosystems. The shark tracking is being conducted by a team of independent scientists on board the Arctic Sunrise and the data collected during the expedition contributes to securing future ocean protection and the futures of generations of sharks in the region.[2]

Sophie Cooke, Arctic Sunrise expedition lead, Greenpeace UK, said: “Previously, it was impossible to protect this high seas area where these sharks migrate. But now, using the recently won UN Global Ocean Treaty, governments have a chance to boost protection of the migratory species in this region and provide a powerful example to the rest of the world of how to protect the high seas.” 

ENDS

Photo and video footage available from the Greenpeace Media Library.

Notes:

[1] Smooth hammerhead sharks lack the characteristic cleft in the centre of their hammer-shaped head, which gives scalloped hammerhead their name, and is classed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Endangered Species. Hammerhead sharks are particularly vulnerable to longlining, and fishing fleets today operate just outside the borders of the reserve. In fact, the last reliable records of smooth hammerhead sharks in Galápagos came from an experimental longline fishery inside the reserve in 2004.

[2] The research expedition aims to emphasise the power of marine protection, documenting the success of the Galápagos Marine Reserve and the incredible wildlife and habitats of the sea near the Galápagos.

Contacts:

Magali Rubino, Global media lead for Greenpeace’s Protect the Oceans campaign, Greenpeace France: magali.rubino@greenpeace.org +33 7 78 41 78 78 (GMT+1)

Karina Vivanco, coordinator communicator at Galapágos Science Center, avivanco@usfq.edu.ec, +593 99 750 6617

Turin, Italy – The G7 Climate, Energy and Environment Ministers meeting has concluded with a coal phase out deadline that is too little too late and a further damaging endorsement of fossil gas.       

Tracy Carty, Global Climate Politics Expert, Greenpeace International, said:

“The commitment to phase out coal is simply too little, too late. If they are serious and aligned with what the science says is needed to keep 1.5° within reach, G7 countries must ditch this dinosaur, planet-wrecking fuel no later than 2030. And the climate emergency demands they just don’t stop at coal. Fossil fuels are destroying people and planet and a commitment to rapidly phase out all fossil fuels – coal, oil and gas – is urgently needed. 

“Faced with climate catastrophe, the G7’s persistent endorsement of fossil gas is alarming. Gas is not needed, not cheap and is certainly not a ‘bridge fuel’ to a safe climate. The biggest fossil fuel threat today by wealthy nations is coming from the rapidly expanding LNG industry. An urgent shift is needed towards less, not more, gas – and massively expanded renewables.

“G7 Climate and Energy Ministers offered little to inspire confidence in their commitment to agree to an ambitious new climate finance goal at COP29 later this year. Given their wealth and historically high emissions, G7 countries are among those with primary responsibility for providing international financial support to developing countries for climate action. By the G7 Summit in June, leaders need to make clear they will not be heading to the COP empty handed and be ready to significantly increase support. They need look no further than taxing the fossil fuel industry and other high emitting sectors in order to generate revenues to do so.”

Irène Wabiwa, Project Manager, Greenpeace International said:

“G7 Ministers reiterated the Convention on Biological Diversity’s COP15 commitment of US$20 billion by 2025 per year of finance for biodiversity. Unfortunately, they also promoted carbon credits and offsets as key solutions to both generate money flows and protect forests. Wealthy countries such as the G7 have enough financial resources to deliver the US$20 billion to developing countries by 2025 without reverting to false solutions. Estimates show that the world is already spending US$1.9 trillion per year on subsidies to industries that are destroying nature. US$20 billion is equivalent to only 1.1% of that amount.” 

ENDS

Contacts

Greenpeace International Press Desk, +31 (0)20 718 2470 (available 24 hours), pressdesk.int@greenpeace.org

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