Santa Cruz Island
The Galápagos Islands are a sanctuary for anyone passionate about nature, and today we had a delightful taste of it as we visited the centermost of the islands: Santa Cruz. Home to the largest population in the archipelago, Santa Cruz is home to the Charles Darwin Research Station. After a wet landing we started our walk to the Station to enjoy an adventure in the giant tortoise corral. The first stop of the visit was at the babies’ place. We witnessed hatchlings of many different sizes, from recently born babies to five- year-old individuals.
Further into the trail, it was time to see the most emblematic of all the tortoises: Lonesome George. He was very visible inside his corral, and his companions, two females from Española Island, were surrounding him as an invitation for a date. The next stop of the adventure was at the males’ corral. Once inside we had a marvelous experience as we walked among moving giants. They looked grandiose as they opened their mouths in order to get as much vegetation as they could from the ground.
The last stop of the adventure was at Española’s Diego corral. Diego is another emblematic tortoise we have at the Station, as he is the symbol of the restoration for that island.
In the afternoon the adventure just got better, and the best way to begin was to take a bus ride to the Santa Cruz highlands. After a pleasant lunch at Altair, we got our gear ready to go into the wild in search of giant tortoises. As we arrived to the giant tortoises’ reserve, we experienced the different behaviors this species have when they are found in natural conditions. White-cheeked pintail ducks were the perfect companions for a delightful experience next to a fresh water pool.
Our exploration was completed with a visit to Los Gemelos. Home to land birds and a sanctuary of plants, Los Gemelos are two pit craters where the singing of many finches, flycatchers, and warblers was the perfect symphony of nature.
Today, the living paradise of the Galápagos Islands was splendid as we enjoyed a complete day in the very unique paradise of Santa Cruz Island.
