Santa Cruz Island
This morning I woke up in good spirits. Just knowing that we would spend another day in one of the most famous and better protected National Parks in the World is a great reason to feel content and full of hope for our planet.
Our expedition brought us today to one of the largest islands of the archipelago, Santa Cruz. The capital of this island, Puerto Ayora is a vibrant and living town. The beautiful waterfront, surrounded by local restaurants and souvenir shops, is the heart of this active community.
Two of the most important institutions that protect the Galápagos Islands are located in Puerto Ayora, the Galápagos National Park Service (GNPS) and the Charles Darwin Research Station (CDRS). The latter organization is home to many Galápagos giant tortoises that are part of a successful breeding center. We observed little baby tortoises in their pens, the famous “last of its kind” Lonesome George, and the “hard working” Diego that came from California to help to increase his kind and many more gigantic individuals. We witnessed with respect the great efforts that have been made to save these reptiles from extinction.
After the visit to the CDRS we had the opportunity to stroll around the town, buy some souvenirs, have a drink and observe the normal living and daily activities of the community.
After lunch in “Altair,” a painteresque local restaurant in the highlands, we went to look for the giant tortoises in the wild. Today it was spectacular! We saw several huge individuals roaming free in these remote locations. Some tortoises were seen inside a dripping pool that was created by the constant misty rain that is characteristic of this time of the year.
Giant tortoises regulate their body temperature coming in and out from these seasonal ponds. In addition to this thermoregulation strategy, tortoises go in the water to get rid of parasites that live in their thick skin. On the way back we found a very noisy and colorful town. Many of us went into the streets to celebrate the happiness of the victory in Quito of our soccer national team, two to nothing over the powerful Argentina. Flags and people of every single age were wearing with pride the national jersey, and made us remember the joy of the simple things in life.
After dinner a local band came onboard to fill the atmosphere with their musical and dancing skills. A golden finale to a great day in paradise!
This morning I woke up in good spirits. Just knowing that we would spend another day in one of the most famous and better protected National Parks in the World is a great reason to feel content and full of hope for our planet.
Our expedition brought us today to one of the largest islands of the archipelago, Santa Cruz. The capital of this island, Puerto Ayora is a vibrant and living town. The beautiful waterfront, surrounded by local restaurants and souvenir shops, is the heart of this active community.
Two of the most important institutions that protect the Galápagos Islands are located in Puerto Ayora, the Galápagos National Park Service (GNPS) and the Charles Darwin Research Station (CDRS). The latter organization is home to many Galápagos giant tortoises that are part of a successful breeding center. We observed little baby tortoises in their pens, the famous “last of its kind” Lonesome George, and the “hard working” Diego that came from California to help to increase his kind and many more gigantic individuals. We witnessed with respect the great efforts that have been made to save these reptiles from extinction.
After the visit to the CDRS we had the opportunity to stroll around the town, buy some souvenirs, have a drink and observe the normal living and daily activities of the community.
After lunch in “Altair,” a painteresque local restaurant in the highlands, we went to look for the giant tortoises in the wild. Today it was spectacular! We saw several huge individuals roaming free in these remote locations. Some tortoises were seen inside a dripping pool that was created by the constant misty rain that is characteristic of this time of the year.
Giant tortoises regulate their body temperature coming in and out from these seasonal ponds. In addition to this thermoregulation strategy, tortoises go in the water to get rid of parasites that live in their thick skin. On the way back we found a very noisy and colorful town. Many of us went into the streets to celebrate the happiness of the victory in Quito of our soccer national team, two to nothing over the powerful Argentina. Flags and people of every single age were wearing with pride the national jersey, and made us remember the joy of the simple things in life.
After dinner a local band came onboard to fill the atmosphere with their musical and dancing skills. A golden finale to a great day in paradise!
