Santa Cruz Island
Santa Cruz Island, home of the largest giant tortoises that inhabit this enchanted archipelago… here we are, ready to learn about them and their behaviour.
Our morning started with tortoises at the Charles Darwin Research Station – National Park Breeding Centre. The two institutions together have managed to save the giant tortoises of the Galápagos from going extinct. The program started back in the 1960’s with the Hood sub species. Numbers were going down due to the presence of introduced goats and donkeys to the island; goats will forage the vegetation leaving the tortoises not only without food but also without shelter. After years of research, programs have been a complete success; today over 1800 small tortoises have been repatriated to their island of origin and are already reproducing in the wild. This is probably the reason why the Galápagos National Park Service, together with the Charles Darwin Foundation, is one of the most respected institutions worldwide.
Our afternoon included tortoises in the wild, vermillion flycatchers around the lava tunnel and finches, keeping our groups excited and busy. Photographers took the pictures they have come to the islands for. A bit of drizzle made the scene very dramatic. Walking with these incredible friendly creatures made us feel as if we were transported in time… maybe a hundred years ago, when the tortoises roamed the islands by themselves…
