As we landed, I felt acutely conscious of how isolated we are. No drifting chem trails, no distant boats floating on the horizon, only 32 guests at the resort. The islands linger in a detached Arcadian bubble where time stands still, and all mainland worries gently slip away. Further construction, including a main road and private mansion for the owner, had been envisaged for the archipelago’s northernmost island, until the owner discovered it was home to vast flocks of frigatebirds, famed for their striking red throats. The plans were promptly abandoned, a sure sign of how nature rules all here.
“Not all people can brag that they have whales in their backyard,” Beny Wilson, conservation manager at Islas Secas, proudly remarks during the resort’s weekly sustainability talk. He goes on to explain that this comes with an immense amount of responsibility. “Any change we introduce on these islands will impact the ecosystems forever, and so we have to maintain a level of consciousness and respect in every business decision, or the biodiversity can suffer.”
The waters surrounding Islas Secas have been nationally protected from commercial fishing since 2023, following years of campaigning at the resort, but the efforts are far from complete. An ever-evolving, ever-improving mindset is noticeable, from the tonnes of plastic collected each month in staff beach clear-ups to the newly erected research station, nicknamed the ‘floating casita’, which hosts visiting university students for marine research.
