5:30 am: BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! He rolls over and turns off his alarm. A new day has begun. He arises from his sleep and listens to music as he does some yoga. Then, he pours himself a cup of coffee while he checks the weather conditions and creates a plan for his day with his passengers. 

7 am: He meets his diving group of the day and they set out through the ocean to their destination determined by the Directorate of the Galapagos National Park and the journey begins. He welcomes his group by giving them a debriefing about what they will be doing during their trip and makes sure everyone is comfortable. On each diving trip they submerge twice. There is an hour rest between each dive where they discuss their experience during the first dive while enjoying a snack. They go in one more time and then head back to the Island.

3 pm: He is now back at the agency with his group where they exchange photos and have some drinks. After this if time permits, he will try to go back out to the ocean to surf or do another aquatic activity. 

7 pm: Seven O’clock comes around and it is time for him to gather all of the diving equipment for the next group the following day. 

 

You just lived through a typical day in Joel Sangolqui Chapi’s life pre COVID-19 pandemic. For many people scuba diving is a once in a lifetime experience but for Joel it has pretty much been his entire life living in Santa Cruz, Galapagos. Joel is a diving instructor and adventure guide in the second largest Marine Reserve in the world. His family was one of the pioneer families in the colonization of the Galapagos Islands and are now providing scuba diving services. 

His first dive was when he was eleven years old with his father. They dove down to clean the hull of his dad's boat in the bay La Fe, sharing a tank and regulator with two long hoses. He remembers taking a walk after when they were approached by some sea lions and they began to play with them for a while. Joel felt a strong connection with the beauty of the sea and the marine diversity. He continued his training as a scuba diver until was eighteen years old. He completed his dive master course and open water instructor course within the same year through the largest Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) school. In 2015, he was awarded as the youngest dive instructor in Ecuador (and is among the youngest of the world) through the annual Diving Equipment and Marketing Association (DEMA) fair, organized by PADI. Joel had learned all there is to know about diving in the seven years between his first dive and to when he completed his courses. 

For Joel, scuba diving is just as much of a hobby as it is a job. Joel says he feels a rush of adrenaline whenever he is underwater and he is allured by risk. So much that one time he found himself having to defend himself from a Silky shark. 

“I feel like I am flying. One time, in my dreams I felt that I was flying and I feel that same feeling when I dive. When my skin feels the water, my body harmonizes with the element and I begin to flow with the atmosphere. I move to the rhythm of the marine animals and the current. I feel part of that world.” 

Galapagos and the ocean is paradise for Joel.  He enjoys taking out different groups to experience what Galapagos has to offer and lets it speak for itself.  Joel has a lot of responsibility working but he is always up for a good challenge. He feels confident with his experience to make sure all passengers and himself have an enjoyable dive. Joel says he truly loves what he does and how he can have a great impact on people's visits. He always knew that he would have a job in tourism but he has always wanted to go to college and study biology but that means having to leave Galapagos and so far that hasn’t been financially possible. 

 

March 15th 2020: COVID-19 had made its way to the Galapagos Islands and chaos began as tourists scrambled to find a way back home. Airports, restaurants, cruises, tours, everything had shut down including Joel’s family scuba diving business. Joel and his family packed up and moved to their cabins in the highlands away from the city. There he began to live off of the land and what they had planted. Joel says the adjustments had been fairly easy for him. He was able to live much more minimally and produced significantly less trash. Him and his family escaped from the consumerism lifestyle that this world has turned into. Joel says, “My ideals grounded and I feel more aware and awake than ever before”. 

There was one thing that Joel could not stay away from… the ocean. The authorities denied people access to the sea for six months. This was not going to work for him and although it was not allowed Joel managed to fish and surf far from everyone and everything. This way Joel could have a much needed escape during such tough times. Joel began using his voice a lot more and doing whatever he could to help the conservation and education system in Galapagos. 

Notably, Joel says the biggest thing that he had learned during the peak of these big changes is, “stop trusting in the imaginary order of society and to live sustainably, to become self-sufficient without needing anything from the corrupt and oppressive system of this country and the world.” Joel participated in a protest that went on later in August. The efforts of these protests were going against the corrupt government and demanded to place temporary holds on debts and eliminate interest charges as long as the pandemic lasts. The protestors request for more help in education and health as they still do not have good education, sewage systems or drinkable water. 

Joel has been living off of what he grows, fishes and sometimes will exchange with others. Joel, along with some friends, are developing a project to help kids and the education system. In addition to that he has also volunteered through different organizations to help the conservation of the Galapagos Islands. He has kept himself quite busy throughout this all and is making impacts in Galapagos. Joel believes that tourism will continue to grow in the future. He hopes to see change within Galapagos and the conservation before tourism fully picks up again.