Santa Cruz Island
Today we witnessed firsthand the incredible job of two very important institutions in the archipelago: the Galapagos National Park Service and the Charles Darwin Research Station.
Santa Cruz Island is home to the largest human population in the Galápagos. Puerto Ayora was our first stop; this picturesque town is the home of these two institutions. This morning we visited the breeding center of giant tortoises and we also learned about the different projects that have been developed in the islands: the control of invasive species of plants, the inventory of land invertebrates of the Galápagos and the educational programs. The highlight of the visit was the giant tortoise Lonesome George and the baby tortoises from different islands.
After this visit we had some free time in town; people enjoyed shopping or just walking along the shore. Some visited the fishing market where they shared the area with pelicans and gulls who were delighted by the smell of fish!
Lunch was in the farming area of Santa Cruz, where the weather was a little bit cooler. This was closer to our next destination, the humid zone of Santa Cruz. This is the best place to find giant tortoises in the wild; different species of Darwin’s finches were also spotted, and some of our guests chose to take an extra stop at a very interesting geological formation known as the “Gemelos.” The endemic forest of scalesia surrounds two huge pit craters; we walked along the border of one of these craters and enjoyed a wonderful view.
After dinner we got an extra taste of Santa Cruz Island, Puerto Ayora and its culture with the musical group that came on board and shared with us some songs and dances. It is hard to leave but there is more waiting for us tomorrow.
