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A citizen science experience that embodies sustainable scuba diving in the Galapagos Islands. Read this first-hand account of what it's like!

Sustainable Scuba Diving: Galapagos Islands | Yugen Earthside

The following post is contributed thanks to a client who was specifically looking for a sustainable scuba diving experience in the Galapagos, found it through our 8-day Diving with Scientists in the Galapagos trip, and had a life-changing experience. Jeremy was inspired to share in detail what this citizen science, Galapagos liveaboard dive trip was like, and how it impacted him. All pictures in this post are Jeremy’s.

Dedicated to Janet Ferguson, who loved to travel.

I met Hilary through a mutual friend. Hilary was interested in talking about establishing her sustainable travel business. In the end, I don’t even remember that conversation. I’m grateful for her, though. I told her I wanted to swim with a whale shark, but to do it responsibly. I did exactly that.

Two out of three people I show this photo are surprised I would swim with something so dangerous. I joke that the animal here is vegan, eating mostly plankton. Though I guess it’s more of a pescatarian, eating small fish and crustaceans too.

This still blows my mind… give me a moment…

We were about 30 minutes into our third dive at Darwin Island, in the Galapagos. There was a din from my left. When I looked over, I saw Christian, the divemaster shaking his underwater noise maker and pointing off at a distant shadow. A bus-sized fish emerged from the gloom. Some of us just watched from a rocky shelf below the shark while two of our group took off, rising and swimming toward it. I was managing my air, avoiding strenuous movement, breathing deeply. I just filmed. Neither of the divers got close. The fish appeared to lazily swim by.

Jonathan Greene, shark scientist, conservationist, and partner in the Galapagos Whale Shark Project, said it was 11 to 11.5 meters, 35-37 feet long. He said getting in the way of the tail could kill you. I’m the one taking the picture. My bunkmate, Max, is the one in pursuit near the tail.

I got lucky. Of five dives at Darwin Island, we saw the shark on one dive. A few see none. That being said, some see many, and according to Greene, the sharks are sometimes curious enough to swim much more slowly, allowing divers to approach. Some of the divers on the trip discussed seeing numerous whale sharks in places like the Maldives in the Indian Ocean. However, The Galapagos is special for being able to see animals this size—the largest fish in the sea. Some reach sizes in excess of 50 feet long.

It’s really weird how shows like Blue Planet expose us to the existence of such wonders, but there’s an element of the profound, of overwhelming connection being there in the presence of such an animal, in quiet weightlessness, 60 feet underwater.

Surfacing at Darwin Island with a pod of dolphins, who decided to put on a show

Insanely fun, intense drift diving at Wolf Island with a school of hundreds of hammerhead and Galapagos sharks—this was so fun we did it a second time!

Swimming with marine iguanas, sea lions, giant sea turtles, and a penguin on a single dive at Isabela Island

Manta rays and too many spotted eagle rays to count

A pair of mating octopi—and me without my camera!

Jonathan Greene’s and Jenny Whack’s commentaries on conservation and the Whale Shark’s place in the ecosystem.

The people: divers care about the environment they dive in. They are curious, good listeners. They are also ready to connect, by sharing their own experiences in life and in diving. Such a fantastic group! —Except for the Brits, they’re just “rubbish.” [1] 

My primary complaints, there just weren’t enough trip highlights and they weren’t massive enough. For an overwhelmingly positive experience, far and away the most incredible dive trip of my life, I just expected more. Also, I got really tired of the amazing sunsets. [2]
Also, the beer selection onboard left a lot to be desired, being simple lagers. I primarily care for hazy IPAs, APAs, and —you don’t care. It’s probably for the best, anyway. Dehydration is not a diver’s friend.

In all seriousness, this is the kind of experience that gets me thinking philosophically. I have always loved sharks and have heard about the impact humans are having on the oceans, but that’s all been intellectual. However, seeing a school of 100 animals, hammerhead sharks, dissipate into shadow, implying hundreds if not a thousand more animals is a spiritual experience—which now directly links to the images I’ve seen of sharks being slaughtered on fishing vessels. I have let the problem in. I could push it down, bottle it up, but I don’t want to.

I want my kids to have a chance to experience this.

Again, every time I look at that picture, I can’t get over it. I am speechless for a moment. …give me a moment…

I took this trip under the premise that it was responsible. The two main parts of this were:

offsetting my flight with carbon credits at a bargain price of around $30

booking my dive boat with The Galapagos Whale Shark Project team

Yet, I still need to understand if this is just wishful thinking. I have confidence in the mission of The Galapagos Whale Shark team and would like to write about them further. They are doing one small, essential thing for conservation. I need to understand, though, if the carbon offset is verifiable and really making an impact, or is each tree planted just leading to a different, unprotected tree being cut down?

Also, there’s a discussion to be had about the positive (and negative) economics of international travel. One positive, as I see it, I worked with at least 5 different service providers on the trip, each was small and local. Each was splitting some amount of the money I was spending on the trip. While there’s inefficiency here, that in a former life, I would have thought about how to eliminate and capture, I felt positive about each of the individuals involved. While sometimes I felt pressure to be upsold, I always felt that responses to my questions were genuine. I trust them. In particular, Hilary from Yugen Earthside did a great job working with me to find the right experience. [She connected me to a local company who] acted as a personal concierge making sure my experience in Ecuador was what I wanted and I felt safe and comfortable. I would work with both again and so appreciate their introduction to Jenny and Jonathan. I write this because I see this as an alternative model to the huge travel organizations like Marriott, Hilton, etc. which focus on economic return over being good stewards or offering tailored experiences.

[2] I can sometimes deliver irony in a very dry, imperceptible manner, but I had some feedback that made me think I needed to add this footnote… Hint: I’m saying, “For the best trip of my life, it wasn’t best enough.”

Jeremy and Hilary chatted after this trip in depth. They discussed that carbon offsetting – done through Sustainable Travel International in Yugen Earthside’s checkout process – is a good start but not a “fix-all”. You can find more information on how to positively impact the climate here. They also discussed how sustainable travel is not just environmental or reducing your carbon footprint; it is also learning new ways to appreciate the environment and Earth’s wildlife so that you are inspired to care for it and preserve it for future generations. This sustainable scuba diving trip also supported science, conservation, and local businesses. Sustainable travel is about having transformative travel experiences that make you deeply appreciate our planet and the incredible magic within it…and this really gets at the heart of what Yugen means.

Sustainable Scuba Diving in the Galapagos Islands

How has COVID changed travel? We’ve rounded up several COVID travel trends that we think will shape the tourism landscape in 2021 and beyond.

5 COVID-Inspired Travel Trends | Yugen Earthside

Spotify’s end-of-year wrap-up stories described 2020 the best, saying it felt like 67 months.

Unfortunately for all of us who love to travel, in those 67 months, our traveling was very limited. We all had to make due and figure out ways to still scratch the eternal travel itch without breaking any laws or putting our health in danger.

If you, like myself, started plotting ways to travel safely as soon as shutdowns started, you might’ve also started thinking about how these COVID travel trends would affect future trips.

Everything from the mode of transportation, to where we lodge, to the activities we choose is going to change.

Something I saw more and more travelers doing in 2020 was choosing to stay in Airbnbs over hotels. Yes, hotels have been taking all the precautions they can to ensure a safe and stress-free stay, but the idea of possibly being in a building with several others is enough to deter anyone from staying in one. 

Renting out an apartment or a home is not only a good way to keep away from the crowds, it gives you a place to cook your own meals, enjoy a unique location and get a sense of the way that locals and non-locals alike live in the area you’re visiting. It doesn’t hurt if your Airbnb is cute and insta-worthy, too.

Going out to eat during a pandemic has been near to impossible unless you’re ordering take-out. Companies like Postmates and Grubhub in the US have been thriving, but there’s also been another rising trend: cooking from home. Home cooking isn’t just restricted to all of us in lockdown but has become a norm for those of us who have been staying in home rentals as well.

Sure pre-packaged, frozen meals are easy, but why not try out a new recipe or attempt to create something that the locals might enjoy while staying in your Airbnb? Whichever way you choose to chow down, make sure to savor the flavors of your meal and your location. By the way, visiting grocery stores in foreign countries is a great way to get a peek into “normal” life there!

Backpackers around the world know the importance of only packing essentials. However, when there’s a little extra space in our bag(s), we tend to take a few extra accessories if we can. In recent years we’ve seen a rise in eco-conscious decisions, including the use of stainless steel straws, taking our own utensils and containers to stores, and carrying a water flask at all times.

With such a huge movement towards being green in our daily lives, it only makes sense that it would seep into our travels. As we move past this pandemic together, we’ll all likely continue to take precautions when we go out by continuing to take our own water bottles where we go and likely using our own utensils at restaurants. Thankfully, certain countries like France make it easier for us by providing public water pumps that you can use to refill your water bottles.

The way we travel is forever changed. Of course, we’ll eventually take planes again without fear of getting COVID, however, it wouldn’t be a surprise if, in the future, more of us took slower traveling methods to either avoid crowds or simply enjoy the views that come with road trips. 

Enduring a pandemic has made us reevaluate how we’ll get from point A to point B, both in our personal lives as well as when we travel. Hands up if you’ve driven your car in 2020 more than ever! Traveling in 2021 and beyond will be no different – I predict many of us will continue to take our cars or a train if that’s an option.

If your itinerary is usually jam-packed with sightseeing, you might want to take note of a trend from 2020 and slow your trip down with fewer to-do’s.

One great way to do so is by filling your days with more nature-based activities like hiking, kayaking, or riding a bike.  You can take in some really great views when you go for a hike on your trip that may make for more memorable, unique moments that you might not have otherwise experienced if you went to all the tourist traps.

However, if you do want to visit the touristy spots, look for a walking tour in your city and support your local tour guides! Yugen Earthside also offers self-guided walking and cycling tours so you can enjoy the great outdoors while also staying socially distant. 

To sum up, here are the COVID travel trends that you can expect to stay with us in 2021:

Choosing to stay in vacation rentals, such as Airbnbs, over hotels

Cooking from home – even while traveling  

The use of eco-friendly travel accessories

Less air travel; more road trips and train rides

More environmentally friendly activities focused on nature

All in all, the COVID travel trends listed above are components of the slow travel movement. Really taking the time to enjoy a trip, everything that locals have to offer, and as the name suggests, slowing down your list of things to do and see while on vacation.

Traveling during 2021 and beyond will eventually return back to what we know as “normal” over time, but many of these COVID travel trends won’t stay behind in 2020. The world around us is constantly changing and evolving, and in turn, so is the way we travel.

This post contains affiliate links. This means that if you buy a product after clicking our link we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

5 COVID-Inspired Travel Trends That Will Continue In 2021

Your cheat-sheet of how to travel sustainably in Portugal. We cover the basics of what responsible tourism looks like in this country.

Sustainable Travel Guide: Portugal | Yugen Earthside

Our Sustainable Travel Guide – Portugal covers a general overview, seasonal notes, what to do (including sustainable, low-carbon impact ideas), what not to do, biggest areas of impact, notes about Portugal as a sustainable destination, other article references, and a related trip – all through the lens of sustainability.

Portugal sits on the Iberian Peninsula in Western Europe. National parks and protected reserves make up about a 5th of Portugal’s territory – many of which can be enjoyed via sustainable tours such as hiking, trekking, or cycling.

There are over two million kilometers (>1.2 million miles) of mapped routes that are bike-accessible in Portugal and a ubiquitous variety of hiking in every region of the country. Almost a third of the country’s landmass is dedicated to cultivating grapes – many of which become Portugal’s famous vinho verde!

Other major tourist draws are the beaches of Portugal (there are 943 kilometers / 586 miles of coastline on Portugal’s mainland). Portugal’s sweeping scenic landscapes cater to outdoor enthusiasts, wine tourism, and the rich history and culture of its cities like Porto, Lisbon, Sintra, and more.

In 2018, nearly 13 million foreign tourists visited Portugal. Tourism has grown from 10 to nearly 20% of Portugal’s national GDP in the last 20 years, as tourism continues to bolster the economy at the local and national levels.

About 65% of the country’s labor force is service-based (working in hotels, restaurants, etc.), and about 10% of the country’s labor force is agricultural, which includes farming the 2,400 square kilometers (~927 square miles) of vineyards. In 2019, about 19% of total employment in Portugal came from the tourism sector alone.

Almost 60% of Portuguese have at least some English proficiency – but you should still learn a few key phrases before going. Portuguese shares similarities to other Romance languages and is most closely related to Spanish (“hello” in Portuguese is olá, for example.)

Most Portuguese are Roman Catholics (>80%), which has informed local culture and traditions for centuries, leaving behind famous religious traditions and historical artifacts.

The Sanctuary of Fatima in the Ourém municipality is a popular destination for travelers seeking a spiritual journey. There’s also the Portuguese Camino de Santiago (or, “the Portuguese Way”), which attracts religious tourists looking to either hike or bike the ancient pilgrimage route to its final endpoint, the Santiago de Compostela in Spain.

Everyone in Portugal has access to healthcare, including tourists.

Travelers can apply for the EHIC, European Health Insurance Card, online for free if they are residents of the EU.

Other travelers should also consider purchasing travel insurance to cover potential costs.

Portugal is rated very well for safety overall. The one thing to look out for would-be pickpockets, mostly in well-trafficked cities. Keep your valuables at home and be careful about where you store your essential documents and money.

While legally represented and celebrated in Portugal, members of the LGBT+ community should know that Portugal is still largely conservative and religious. Discretion may be recommended outside of major cities given the current political climate.

It’s best to plan trips in nature with a travel companion, or a few, for safety (and for the memories!)

The high season for tourism is during the summer (June through August) and national holidays when most Europeans are off work.

The off-season is generally between October and February (late fall into winter) when temperatures are a bit too cold for the beaches, but beautiful for travel without major congestion.

The shoulder season is through the month of September into October, and from March through the beginning of June.

Seeing how a country celebrates national holidays can be a great way to see another layer of their culture and heritage. Here are some notable festivals, or festas, that could be fun to celebrate in Portugal:

The Feast Days of Popular Saints (Festas dos Santos Populares) occur throughout June in Lisbon – with Saint Anthony’s celebration on June 12th being one of the biggest

The Madeira Flower Festival in the island’s city center, Funchal, in April or May

The Midsummer Festival of St John of Porto (Festa de São João do Porto)  on June 23rd in Porto

The musical Festival of Sintra is available in Sintra, Estoril, and Cascais in July (all three towns are nearby to one another)

The National Agriculture Festival in Santarém around late October

Use bom dia and boa tarde to greet locals in the morning or afternoon, as you will hear them commonly; use boa noite at night. Also, remember to say “thank you” (obrigado for men, obrigada for women)!

Eat pastéis de nata, at every opportunity, from any local bakery or restaurant. Traditional foods are one of the best (and tastiest) ways to connect with the culture.

Visit the Peneda-Gerês national park, protected natural regions, and UNESCO World Heritage sites. There’s a healthy amount of all three, so take your pick of the jaw-dropping cliff views from the (Sintra-Cascais region), to the colorful wine fields of the (Douro) region in the north, or the beautiful island landscapes of Madeira.

Be open to making genuine and spontaneous human connections, with or without the aid of a shared language. Perhaps a generic rule of traveling is that speaking the native language opens doors. When you make an effort to communicate, specifically in the local language, your experience may become more connected and gratifying.

These activities are all sustainable because they don’t require emitting much carbon and they connect you with the natural beauty and culture of Portugal. They can also help you explore off-the-beaten-path locations, which can spread out where tourism money is going throughout the country.

There is a unique host of diverse species to see in their natural habitats due to the various climates Portugal has to offer. Read more here.

Enjoy coastal bike paths, forest trails, and bike-friendly routes through natural parks.

Explore the lush forests, natural parks, steep mountain walkways, and biodiverse ecosystems in Portugal’s refreshingly mild climate.

There are many different festivals all year long in different villages and regions of Portugal, usually celebrating a particular saint. These are colorful and musical affairs, where neighborhood streets are filled with people, parades, food, and dancing.

Connect with the rich, ancient history having survived the test of time in the form of sanctuaries, cathedrals, and monasteries that all still stand in many Portuguese cities.

There are several world-renowned regions of Portugal home to man-made marvels such as the levadas of the Madeiran mountains, the meticulously-grown wine fields of the Douro region, and the stunning Sanctuary of Bom Jesus de Monte in Braga, pictured below.

What better way to enjoy the natural riches and landscapes of Northern Portugal than to tour the vineyards and to taste the many wines cultivated there?

Don’t take photos of locals, or their property/home, without their consent.

Tipping is not an obligatory or expected practice. If you do tip, small tips of just a few euros are very appreciated, especially in service-related industries, like at restaurants, hotels, taxis, or local guides.

Do not offer gifts involving the number 13 or thirteen items of something as it is considered unlucky.

Don’t point excessively within public or mixed spaces. It’s considered rude.

Don’t crowd others’ personal space. Be mindful of your body language and respectful of the fact that Portugal is relatively socially conservative.

Do not wander off the trails in protected natural areas! Hold on to any litter until you can dispose of it appropriately. Help maintain and protect these natural sites and ecosystems.

We are responsible for the conservation of natural areas anywhere we travel. By sticking to walking paths, biking trails, and other pathways created for human travel – such as levadas – we can slow down the erosion of these environmental landmarks and homes to many varieties of animals and plants. (Levadas are man-made irrigation channels, primarily on the island of Madeira, that have footpaths alongside them that are popular for hikers.)

Tourism in Portugal serves first and foremost to support local economies.

Planning a trip for the off-season can help spread out the inflow of revenue from tourism throughout the year.

The livelihood of local communities sometimes depends on their ability to grow crops, partner with local businesses, or on wine tourism. Consider wine tourism to help Portugal’s small, regional wine farmers.

The aging workforce in Portugal leaves many to fend for themselves in a field like agriculture without the support of tourism and partnership with local businesses.

Learning the inherent value of other ways of life from our own–how we eat differently, behave and operate on different belief systems, and how we like to have fun—requires hands-on experience and participation in those cultures. We support these cultures with our respect and appreciation and by exchanging goods.

Look for opportunities to appreciate Portuguese culture by exploring their food, familial traditional styles, philosophies of life, and dancing (often late into the morning!)

In 2020, Portugal was awarded the Sustainable Destination award from ITB Berlin, featuring the Azores (an island archipelago west of the mainland) for “Best in Nature.”

25% of Portugal’s gross energy consumption was powered by renewable energy this year.

Portugal has proven its commitment to raising energy-efficiency standards in car and motorcycle production and has outperformed the energy-efficiency gains for the average country in the EU for nearly 10 years.

Portuguese reliance on oil-fueled energy has been on the decline since 2006.

Portugal plans to have 10% of gross energy consumption in public transportation powered by renewable energy by this year.

The Portuguese government has been using tax deductions for companies and for individual consumers to incentivize purchasing electric vehicles including priority lanes and preferential parking.

Read blog posts contributed to Yugen Earthside by guest authors.

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Sustainable Scuba Diving in the Galapagos Islands

5 COVID-Inspired Travel Trends That Will Continue In 2021

Sustainable Travel Guide: Portugal

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