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our history
Captain Rolf Wittmer is the first man whose birth on Floreana Island has been historically documented. He was born in January 1933, a few months after his parents, Margret and Heinz Wittmer ended a long trip from Germany to the island of Floreana. The Wittmer family settled down on the island and with great endurance overcame incredibly hardships and sometimes an almost unbearable loneliness. They set up a new home on this heavenly island.
Mrs. Margret Wittmer was the central character in the heroic saga which is more fascinatingly dramatic than any fictional adventure. This history can be read in her book “Floreana”, produced in 2010 by Editorial Galapagos, originally “Postlagernd Floreana”, published in Germany in 1960, later translated into 15 languages and called “Floreana” in English. Margaret’s son, Rolf, was one of the pioneers and the first promoters of ecotourism, which is a well developed industry in the Galapagos Islands today. From 1962 to 1967 he brought scientists and the first tourists to the islands aboard the “Cologne”, his fishing boat.
In November 1969, he began to offer formal tourism activities on board a yacht he specially designed and built to accommodate 6 passengers: the motor yacht “Tip Top I”. This was the start of a business which grew very rapidly mainly due to the excellent services and personal attention that Rolf Wittmer was known to provide.
Continuing with the family history of adaptation, innovation, and concern, Rolf founded the company Rolf Wittmer Turismo Galapagos Ltd. with his children, and today it is well-known for offering tailormade and special interest tours around Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands.
