Santa Cruz Island
Before the wake-up call, some of the early risers were already contemplating the sunrise and excited to start the day’s activities. Our expedition would take place at the Charles Darwin Research Station at Puerto Ayora on the southern slope of Santa Cruz. Here we had the opportunity to see Galápagos giant tortoises of all ages, including babies at the breeding center. In this place, there are about 700 tortoises that are part of various research programs. These wonderful, long-lived reptiles were collected and hunted for several centuries for food. However, the population still remains large due conservation work carried out by the Galápagos National Park Service.
After a bus ride, we found ourselves at the centre of the island. This place is the evergreen high ground dotted with big trees and grasslands. Once there in the tortoises’ kingdom, we had close encounters with them and could understand their importance in this ecosystem. Giant tortoises are known in the Galápagos as one of the showcases of evolution along with the legendary Darwin’s finches that became the enjoyment and highlight of the birdwatchers.
Another interesting aspect of the island was the lava tube that we visited. This lava structure is so interesting because it shows all the volcanic activity that the island and all the rest of them underwent at the very beginning. This lava tube gave us a clear idea of the rivers of molten lava that flowed during the process of formation of the archipelago before the arrival of the giant reptiles that today are the symbols of these islands.
Before the wake-up call, some of the early risers were already contemplating the sunrise and excited to start the day’s activities. Our expedition would take place at the Charles Darwin Research Station at Puerto Ayora on the southern slope of Santa Cruz. Here we had the opportunity to see Galápagos giant tortoises of all ages, including babies at the breeding center. In this place, there are about 700 tortoises that are part of various research programs. These wonderful, long-lived reptiles were collected and hunted for several centuries for food. However, the population still remains large due conservation work carried out by the Galápagos National Park Service.
After a bus ride, we found ourselves at the centre of the island. This place is the evergreen high ground dotted with big trees and grasslands. Once there in the tortoises’ kingdom, we had close encounters with them and could understand their importance in this ecosystem. Giant tortoises are known in the Galápagos as one of the showcases of evolution along with the legendary Darwin’s finches that became the enjoyment and highlight of the birdwatchers.
Another interesting aspect of the island was the lava tube that we visited. This lava structure is so interesting because it shows all the volcanic activity that the island and all the rest of them underwent at the very beginning. This lava tube gave us a clear idea of the rivers of molten lava that flowed during the process of formation of the archipelago before the arrival of the giant reptiles that today are the symbols of these islands.
