Santa Cruz Island
Today we explored the second largest island in the group of the Galápagos, Santa Cruz Island. In the morning we paid a visit to the Charles Darwin Research Station. Here we had the opportunity to learn all about the conservation work carried out by this institution in the different fields. The highlights of the place are the Galápagos giant tortoises. Some of them are tiny babies born here as part of a breeding program; eventually all these little creatures will be repatriated to their home islands such as Santiago, Pinzon, Española, etc.
The most famous Galápagos giant tortoise is also found here, and this is the real thing. This is the legendary Lonesome George – what everybody wants to see. Over the years lonesome George has become the symbol for conservation work in the Galápagos, representing the endangered species and the Galápagos National Park itself.
In the afternoon we took a bus ride to the highlands of Santa Cruz. Being the second largest island in the archipelago, Santa Cruz is nearly 3,000 feet above sea level. Therefore, it has several vegetation zones. Among the most interesting ones we have are the humid highlands, home to more than 3,000 giant tortoises.
These emblematic reptiles have inhabited this area for millions of years. For nearly that same span of time, they were the dominant species until that peaceful untouched world changed abruptly with the presence of more aggressive and competitive organisms: man and his domestic animals, with their own diseases and parasites.
Today it is in our hands to restore the endangered animals and ecosystems. For that reason, the Galápagos National Park and Charles Darwin Research Station currently carry out campaigns of eradication of introduced species. Thanks to these efforts, today we can enjoy watching these gargantuan reptiles peacefully graze in the open fields.
Today we explored the second largest island in the group of the Galápagos, Santa Cruz Island. In the morning we paid a visit to the Charles Darwin Research Station. Here we had the opportunity to learn all about the conservation work carried out by this institution in the different fields. The highlights of the place are the Galápagos giant tortoises. Some of them are tiny babies born here as part of a breeding program; eventually all these little creatures will be repatriated to their home islands such as Santiago, Pinzon, Española, etc.
The most famous Galápagos giant tortoise is also found here, and this is the real thing. This is the legendary Lonesome George – what everybody wants to see. Over the years lonesome George has become the symbol for conservation work in the Galápagos, representing the endangered species and the Galápagos National Park itself.
In the afternoon we took a bus ride to the highlands of Santa Cruz. Being the second largest island in the archipelago, Santa Cruz is nearly 3,000 feet above sea level. Therefore, it has several vegetation zones. Among the most interesting ones we have are the humid highlands, home to more than 3,000 giant tortoises.
These emblematic reptiles have inhabited this area for millions of years. For nearly that same span of time, they were the dominant species until that peaceful untouched world changed abruptly with the presence of more aggressive and competitive organisms: man and his domestic animals, with their own diseases and parasites.
Today it is in our hands to restore the endangered animals and ecosystems. For that reason, the Galápagos National Park and Charles Darwin Research Station currently carry out campaigns of eradication of introduced species. Thanks to these efforts, today we can enjoy watching these gargantuan reptiles peacefully graze in the open fields.
