Santa Cruz
The National Geographic Endeavour anchors today at Academy Bay, on Santa Cruz Island. Here we find the Headquarters of the Galápagos National Park and Darwin Research Station. Both institutions have worked towards the conservation of the Islands since 1959. Lindblad Expeditions has being working closely together with them for the protection of the Islands.
As we visit the Galápagos Rearing Center, we meet with Fausto Llerena, curator of the Giant Tortoises. He informs us that as of today, there are 1001 baby tortoises at the Rearing Center! In total, the amount of tortoises released back to their islands of origin is 4000 individuals – from Santa Cruz Island, and some 2500 from Isabela Island Rearing Center.
We learn the news that Lonesome George has managed to fertilize one of the females that lives with him for the fourth time! Expectations to raise the number of tortoises like Lonesome George are always good news.
In the meantime, Fausto Llerena continues to amaze every visitor at the center. As our guests on board the National Geographic Endeavour visit the center this morning, we meet Fausto himself, and he informs us about the health of the baby tortoises.
They all are in pretty good shape and none is ill. In the wild, these baby Galápagos giant tortoises can be easy prey of the natural predators such as the Hawk, Mockingbird, Frigate and others. Here at the Center they are protected by his careful team of Park Rangers. They feed them three times a week and give sufficient water, making sure they are treated in the best way!
With this much care, in the near future we are confident that the populations of Giant Tortoises will return to numbers similar to those the Islands had before the arrival of man!
