celso montalvo’s upbringing in the galápagos islands was akin to a fairytale. his youth was spent soaking in the sun, swimming in circles with sea lions and befriending ancient giant tortoises. he lived a life almost completely free of modern technology, his only entertainment the life on the islands. 

montalvo was nine years old when his family left mainland ecuador and relocated to the island chain. throughout the course of his life, he spent the majority of his time closely connected to his surroundings.

“we grew up with this gyre in our heads,” montalvo said. “watching sunrises and sunsets, temperature, the water… and you pay attention to the animals. they have no fear. they don’t care about us. you can sit there in silence and watch the movements, the conversations they have.”

montalvo said his fine-tuned senses provided him with the skills to venture out into the world and view it from a perspective he says is only possible when in complete silence. 

“we all have our senses, but most of the time we just don’t really work on them,” montalvo said. “we are constantly talking, constantly hearing noise. we have walls. but if you’re silent, like, really silent and close your eyes, you can feel the direction of the breeze, the pressure and temperature. it’s like information is constantly coming at you.”

according to the galápagos conservancy, about 80% of the land birds on the island chain, 97% of the reptiles and land mammals and more than 30% of the plants are endemic. more than 20% of the marine species in galápagos are found nowhere else on earth.

starting his work as a naturalist at 35, montalvo has spent 21 years working alongside nature, taking every opportunity to learn from and envelop himself in its wonders. now 56, he is ready to hand in his badge and return to his two daughters in tampa, florida. 

for the most part, montalvo said he is saddened by this phase of his life coming to end but says there is one thing that he is relieved to be avoiding: the next el niño.

according to the national oceanic and atmospheric administration (noaa), the el niño-southern oscillation (enso) is a fluctuation in sea surface temperatures, typically characterized by unusually warm ocean temperatures. since the start of the 1900’s, the earth has seen roughly 30 el niño events, with the two of the most devastating events happening in 1982 and 1997. 

“i saw them both,” montalvo said. “i barely remember the first one, but the second one, i remember very drastically. and it was brutal, not just in the galápagos, but you saw it in many other places.”

much of marine life in the galápagos saw a considerable decline following the 1997 to 1998 el niño event, according to the galápagos conservancy. 

according to noaa, this particular el niño event was one of the most widely and closely followed climate events of the century. species such as the galápagos marine iguana and the galápagos sea lion experienced population declines between 80% and 90%  due to the unusually warm water temperatures and dwindled food supply.

“it was awful,” montalvo said. “there were dead bodies everywhere you looked.”

according to montalvo, this el niño represented a growth in the severity and the resulting impacts on animal life in the galápagos. but he said his biggest fear is what the future will bring, and when. he is certain that there is an event much larger, far more catastrophic to come.

the most recent el niño event that began in june 2023 reached a peak strength 2.0 °c above the 1991 and 2020 average, according to the world meteorological organization. this intensity ranks it among the five strongest el niño events on record, though it was less than that of the 1997 event.  

with the transition into la niña estimated to begin late this summer, montalvo said the cyclical pressure that leads to the build up of el niño could indicate a significantly larger event than ones that have occurred in the past 20 years. 

“that is gonna be disastrous,” montalvo said. “i could feel it because we were supposed to have la niña a while ago. we’re overdue.”

many conservation-based organizations have pushed for advancements in climate-response monitoring protocols. the world wildlife fund, for instance, has suggested establishing an early warning system that can detect the impacts of climate change on the ecosystems of the galápagos. 

other organizations such as the galápagos conservation trust, an organization dedicated to supporting the conservation efforts on the galápagos islands, work to limit any increase in invasive species, an issue often perpetuated by el niño events. 

in his time as a naturalist and in the galápagos, montalvo has learned to cope with the rawness of nature. the good and the bad. he feels deeply for the well being of the animals but understands at the same time that we as humans must allow nature to take its course. 

“it’s not easy to digest death, but it’s part of the galápagos systems, and we’re just here to learn,” montalvo said.  

the threat of a devastating el niño lives with montalvo, but has never swayed his dedication to the preservation of the islands. to montalvo, the galápagos islands are a place intended to teach humans the beauty of coexistence. 

he said he continues to hope for the prosperity of the islands, regardless of the tribulations of nature; and said if there was one thing a visitor can learn from visiting the islands, it is that harmony between the wild and human life is possible.

“these islands are a haven,” montalvo said. “i am glad to have been a part of something so big for human kind.”

editor’s note: lindblad expeditions, our planet forward storyfest competition partner, made this series possible by providing winners with an experiential learning opportunity aboard one of their ships. we thank lindblad expeditions for their continued support of our project.