Santa Cruz Island
The world-famous Galápagos giant tortoises represent for us, the inhabitants of Ecuador, a genuine and unmatched symbol of our country. These antediluvian-looking reptiles that live in this paradisiacal archipelago are in fact so renowned that they are the namesake to the islands. These gigantic reptiles have put not only the Galápagos Islands, but my country, on the map.
Unfortunately, the recent history of these giants is not a very appealing one. We will never know how many hundreds of thousands were taken away from the islands to be used as food. The Galápagos Islands were considered no-man’s land for many centuries and therefore they did not have any kind of protection. A second dreadful fact: the giant tortoises can survive for up to two years without eating or drinking. The tortoises were transported alive in the ships of early sea farers as an alternative and abundant source of food. In times where refrigeration was still far from being invented, these big animals became a popular food that was exploited, humans showing no mercy.
Nowadays, giant tortoises are living a golden age; their populations are not being destroyed anymore. In fact, we are helping to restore their lost dynasty little by little.
Today in the morning, during our visit the Charles Darwin Research Station, we witnessed the remarkable efforts that are being implemented to save the remaining populations of giant tortoises.
In the afternoon we had the thrill to observe these gentle giants roaming free in their natural habitat. The observation of these giants in the wild, just as they have been doing for millions of years, provoked the admiration of our visitors. The tranquility of this sighting printed in our minds hope and love for the environment. At the same time, it gave us the required inspiration to dream of a brighter future for the giants of the Galápagos.
The world-famous Galápagos giant tortoises represent for us, the inhabitants of Ecuador, a genuine and unmatched symbol of our country. These antediluvian-looking reptiles that live in this paradisiacal archipelago are in fact so renowned that they are the namesake to the islands. These gigantic reptiles have put not only the Galápagos Islands, but my country, on the map.
Unfortunately, the recent history of these giants is not a very appealing one. We will never know how many hundreds of thousands were taken away from the islands to be used as food. The Galápagos Islands were considered no-man’s land for many centuries and therefore they did not have any kind of protection. A second dreadful fact: the giant tortoises can survive for up to two years without eating or drinking. The tortoises were transported alive in the ships of early sea farers as an alternative and abundant source of food. In times where refrigeration was still far from being invented, these big animals became a popular food that was exploited, humans showing no mercy.
Nowadays, giant tortoises are living a golden age; their populations are not being destroyed anymore. In fact, we are helping to restore their lost dynasty little by little.
Today in the morning, during our visit the Charles Darwin Research Station, we witnessed the remarkable efforts that are being implemented to save the remaining populations of giant tortoises.
In the afternoon we had the thrill to observe these gentle giants roaming free in their natural habitat. The observation of these giants in the wild, just as they have been doing for millions of years, provoked the admiration of our visitors. The tranquility of this sighting printed in our minds hope and love for the environment. At the same time, it gave us the required inspiration to dream of a brighter future for the giants of the Galápagos.
