Today the National Geographic Endeavour returned to civilization at a place called Puerto Ayora, on the island of Santa Cruz. This is one of the largest towns in the Galapagos, and the economic center of the islands, with a population of around 18,000 residents. It is also the home of the Charles Darwin Research Center, which is situated in the Galapagos National Park.
The first thing this morning was a visit to this very important research facility, which has been in existence since 1959. The highlight of our visit was to see the captive breeding program for several species of endangered Galapagos giant tortoises. These incredible, and very unique, species of tortoises were either exterminated, or nearly exterminated by humans, mostly as a food source for mariners who passed through the islands, and needed to re-provision! Thanks to the efforts of many dedicated people, there is a viable population again on a number of islands in the archipelago.
After our brief visit, it was time to stroll into town, do a little souvenir shopping. We re-assembled at our designated meeting point for a very refreshing fruit drink, before heading out for the next part of our adventure of the day, a trip to the island’s highlands! We rode up the hills in the buses, discussing and interpreting the island’s biology and community, before arriving to a working farm run by a local family. We learned about processing sugar cane, and its many uses, including the fermentation process to produce a very potent alcohol locally known as “fire water”!
Soon it was off again to a local restaurant for a delicious lunch and more refreshments; it was a very warm and humid day, so keeping hydrated was important, and a nearly a constant effort! Once we finished the delicious dessert that was offered, it was off to the high point of the day, visiting another farm that happened to be very close by, in an area that is frequented by giant tortoises! Within twenty minutes we were disembarking the buses again, joining our naturalists and photo instructors, and walking out into the fields and woods to see these magnificent reptiles in the wild!
Finally, it was time to head back to town, where we had the option to explore and shop a little more, or to return to the ship to get ready for the evening’s activities. These included a briefing about tomorrow, as well as a guest lecture from one of the researchers from the Darwin Center, followed by dinner, and a special surprise performance from local musicians. A great way to end another wonderful day in the Galapagos Islands!
