Santa Cruz Island
We are walking slowly down Charles Darwin Avenue, shortening the distance that separates us from what is perhaps the most anticipated visit of all – the corrals where the giant tortoises of the Galápagos live. Many people were there, all of them expecting to take a good photo of these gentle giants, all of them avid to take a look at Lonesome George.
The fame of this tortoise precedes its own name, even though most of his fame is for being incapable of reproducing. New discoveries on genetic science regarding the giant tortoises and particularly of him, certainly has opened a new gate, a new path in our understanding of how these long term inhabitants of the Galápagos will be able to survive.
Later on we were immersed into the highlands, a world of green where many “mobile rocks” (a.k.a. wild giant tortoises) scattered the landscape. This place, where as many as 3,000 tortoises live, is as complex as it is lush.
We were also greeted by many finches and as a great surprise, two vermillion flycatchers displayed for us. We finished our visitation at the sink holes. These two impressive structures nest several species of land birds and a beautiful array of epiphytic organisms.
We came off of Santa Cruz Island as the sun was setting and, while feeling the strength of the ocean, we were already imagining our visit to the western part of the islands.
