Galapagos complaints go unheard PART 2

Follow up to a passenger complaint (see article: “Galapagos complaints go unheard” posted on October 30, 2009).

Stemming from frustration that 13 days had passed by and not one of the dozen or so higher ranking Galapagos National Park authorities had the decency to (1) at least acknowledge the email; and (2) respond in one way or another, I took it upon myself to resend the original email … but this time including 84 other GNP representatives.

Within 30 minutes of sending this follow up email, Daniel Silva (Administrator of the Naturalist Guide System) responded the following:

Lamentamos no haber leído anteriormente su denuncia, debido a que por motivos de ranovación de licencias de Guías Naturalistas y posteriormente un pequeño problema con mi sistema de correo electrónico no estuve al tanto de la lectura de todos los correos que me han sido enviados.

Deseo aclarar que estamos en la capacidad de responder su inquietud, por lo que al leer su correo de uno de sus pasajeros estamos ubicando quien se llama “Martin”, ya que algunos Guías Naturalistas de los 500 activos que tenemos se llaman así, y además estuvo en el Sulidae en el mes de octubre en las fechas que se menciona en la denuncia. Nosotros hablaremos con la agencia del Sulidae para que nos indique quien estuvo a bordo, pero seria importante que ustedes como agencia que vendió el tour a esta persona insistan a la compañía del Sulidae para que ellos le den el nombre completo del Guía Naturalista.

Cabe mencionar que la Dirección del Parque Nacional Galápagos, forma nuevos Guías Naturalistas, utilizando los mejores métodos académicos y de formación, inclusive actualizando conocimientos de ellos cuando ya son Guías Naturalistas. Lamentamos este hecho aislado y esperamos satisfacer y responder a su inquietud.

Translated …..

We regret not to have previously read your complaint, due to the renovation of Naturalist Guide licenses and subsequently a small problem with my email system of e-mail I was not up to date with the reading of all the mails that you have sent me.

I wish to clarify that we are in the capacity to respond your complaint, and from reading your mail of one of one of your passengers we are trying to locate an individual called “Martin” – since some of the 500 Naturalistic Guides have that same name – and was aboard the Sulidae in the month of October in the dates that were mentioned in complaint. We will speak with the agency responsible for the Sulidae so that they can indicate to us who was on board, but it is almost important that you, as the agency that sold the tour to this person, insist with the Sulidae so that they give the complete name of the Guide (NOTE: We have communicated with the Sulidae, and to date they prefer not to acknowledge nor respond to our requests on this matter]

It fits to mention that the Directive of the Galapagos National Park National, trains new Naturalist Guides, using the best academic training methods, including keeping them up to date when they are Naturalist Guides. We regret this isolate incident and we hope to satisfy and to respond to your complaint.

Cordial greetings,

Daniel Silva

~ by sangay on November 10, 2009.