The world's largest solar-powered boat, Turanor PlanetSolar, has arrived in the Galapagos Islands, off the coast of Ecuador.
The Swiss-owned boat set sail from Monaco four months ago and has now reached the archipelago.
The boat is 31 metres long and equipped with 530 square metres of solar panels.
Raphael Domjan, the founder of the PlanetSolar project, said the boat is an opportunity to educate people about the need for more widespread use of alternative sources of energy.
"We have the technology, we have the energy to change and I want to try, if possible, to show to the world what we can do today," he said.
The boat's captain, Frenchman Patrick Marchesseau, said the Galapagos Islands, with their rich biodiversity and ecological work, is the perfect location for the ship.
"This ship has been built to develop a new kind of energy which can be adapted in Galapagos," he said.
The boat is slated to circumnavigate the planet by the end of 2012.
