Santa Cruz & North Seymour Islands
Santa Cruz by Robin W., Everyday Explorer
In the morning we received a 5:45 wake-up call. Today was the day we would visit the famous Galápagos Tortoises.
We grabbed our lifejackets and set off on the Zodiacs. The water was a beautiful blue-green; a perfect picture opportunity. All of us unloaded at Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz Island. We took a short walk, passing many shops and houses, then boarded a bus. The town was quiet because it was so early in the morning. We headed for the highlands to search for the wild tortoises. On the way, we passed many farms, cows, horses, and people on their way to work. The bus ride was about 45 minutes but it was all worth it.
We reached Galápagos National Park property where the giant creatures live. There were many green trees, brush, and mini-vines hanging from branches covered in Spanish moss. It was a forest of green and home to the giants we were searching for. After a short hike, we found our first tortoise. He was out in the open and huge! Our naturalist was right when he mentioned “mini-tanks.” I was astounded by its size! With little movement, he reminded me of a giant carved statue. After a minute or two of snapping pictures, we moved on to find even more surprises.
Every few steps, our naturalist mentioned a different aspect of the forest. Whether it was tortoise waste, a beautiful flower, or a tasty fruit, everyone crowded around in interest. We even discovered the skeletal remains of an old tortoise. Along the way, we encountered many more tortoises. They seemed to grow bigger the farther into the forest we went.
At one point our naturalist pulled out a small yellow fruit. It looked kind of like a rounded lemon but with smoother skin. He squeezed it once and juice spat out. It was a delicious fruit called the passion fruit. Inside were little seeds with an edible covering. They tasted like a zingy orange and had an amazing look. It was disappointing to find out that these fruits are not endemic, and the park is trying to eliminate these delicious invaders.
Satisfied with the tortoises we’d seen (and, speaking of food!), we headed off to breakfast. The bus drove us to a peaceful outdoor restaurant bordering the preserve. After a fulfilling breakfast, we went back to town to visit the Charles Darwin Research Station. There we met Lonesome George, the last tortoise of its species. We also saw many more captive giant tortoises that are part of the Galápagos’ repopulation program. The baby tortoises were the cutest! I can’t believe that the little creatures grow up to be such giant tanks.
North Seymour by Greg D., Everyday Explorer
Almost three hours ago I snapped this photo of a silhouette of a blue-footed booby in the sunset, with an island called Daphne Major in the mysterious mist in the background. We were standing on North Seymour Island. I had seen so many whistling blue-footed boobies and ballooning magnificent frigate birds on our hike that I was ready go crazy; the mating calls were overwhelming! One of the most interesting things I saw was a male blue-footed booby giving a female a shiny pebble as “wedding present.” Many team members saw today one thing that I missed, but hope to see another day: the blue-footed booby mating dance.
Santa Cruz by Robin W., Everyday Explorer
In the morning we received a 5:45 wake-up call. Today was the day we would visit the famous Galápagos Tortoises.
We grabbed our lifejackets and set off on the Zodiacs. The water was a beautiful blue-green; a perfect picture opportunity. All of us unloaded at Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz Island. We took a short walk, passing many shops and houses, then boarded a bus. The town was quiet because it was so early in the morning. We headed for the highlands to search for the wild tortoises. On the way, we passed many farms, cows, horses, and people on their way to work. The bus ride was about 45 minutes but it was all worth it.
We reached Galápagos National Park property where the giant creatures live. There were many green trees, brush, and mini-vines hanging from branches covered in Spanish moss. It was a forest of green and home to the giants we were searching for. After a short hike, we found our first tortoise. He was out in the open and huge! Our naturalist was right when he mentioned “mini-tanks.” I was astounded by its size! With little movement, he reminded me of a giant carved statue. After a minute or two of snapping pictures, we moved on to find even more surprises.
Every few steps, our naturalist mentioned a different aspect of the forest. Whether it was tortoise waste, a beautiful flower, or a tasty fruit, everyone crowded around in interest. We even discovered the skeletal remains of an old tortoise. Along the way, we encountered many more tortoises. They seemed to grow bigger the farther into the forest we went.
At one point our naturalist pulled out a small yellow fruit. It looked kind of like a rounded lemon but with smoother skin. He squeezed it once and juice spat out. It was a delicious fruit called the passion fruit. Inside were little seeds with an edible covering. They tasted like a zingy orange and had an amazing look. It was disappointing to find out that these fruits are not endemic, and the park is trying to eliminate these delicious invaders.
Satisfied with the tortoises we’d seen (and, speaking of food!), we headed off to breakfast. The bus drove us to a peaceful outdoor restaurant bordering the preserve. After a fulfilling breakfast, we went back to town to visit the Charles Darwin Research Station. There we met Lonesome George, the last tortoise of its species. We also saw many more captive giant tortoises that are part of the Galápagos’ repopulation program. The baby tortoises were the cutest! I can’t believe that the little creatures grow up to be such giant tanks.
North Seymour by Greg D., Everyday Explorer
Almost three hours ago I snapped this photo of a silhouette of a blue-footed booby in the sunset, with an island called Daphne Major in the mysterious mist in the background. We were standing on North Seymour Island. I had seen so many whistling blue-footed boobies and ballooning magnificent frigate birds on our hike that I was ready go crazy; the mating calls were overwhelming! One of the most interesting things I saw was a male blue-footed booby giving a female a shiny pebble as “wedding present.” Many team members saw today one thing that I missed, but hope to see another day: the blue-footed booby mating dance.
