Santa Cruz Island
Last week a young girl, Sara Davis, made a very good friend at the head quarters of the Charles Darwin Research Station. She met a little tortoise, number 19, and made me promise to send news of how the tortoise was growing up.
Sara learnt about the various conservation programs in Galapagos. The breeding program of the Galapagos giant tortoises captivated her the most. The Galapagos National Park Service and the Charles Darwin Research Station have worked together for many years in the breeding and repatriation of the subspecies in danger. Española tortoises have been saved from extinction. Pinzon tortoises are recovering, and the same applies to the tortoises from Santa Cruz and Isabela islands.
Number 19 is from the island of which we are most proud. The Polaris adopted Santiago, or James, and that is number 19’s home island. All the conservation programs in progress on James are done with the support from Lindblad Expeditions. Our guests have contributed a great deal since the Polaris came to the Galapagos, and today many little tortoises have been sent back to their home island.
So Sandy, named by Sara, one tortoise of our adopted island, will grow up, and will make it. And the whole island of James will completely recover one day, because of our guests who have shown that visitors do care about the future of the Galapagos.
Last week a young girl, Sara Davis, made a very good friend at the head quarters of the Charles Darwin Research Station. She met a little tortoise, number 19, and made me promise to send news of how the tortoise was growing up.
Sara learnt about the various conservation programs in Galapagos. The breeding program of the Galapagos giant tortoises captivated her the most. The Galapagos National Park Service and the Charles Darwin Research Station have worked together for many years in the breeding and repatriation of the subspecies in danger. Española tortoises have been saved from extinction. Pinzon tortoises are recovering, and the same applies to the tortoises from Santa Cruz and Isabela islands.
Number 19 is from the island of which we are most proud. The Polaris adopted Santiago, or James, and that is number 19’s home island. All the conservation programs in progress on James are done with the support from Lindblad Expeditions. Our guests have contributed a great deal since the Polaris came to the Galapagos, and today many little tortoises have been sent back to their home island.
So Sandy, named by Sara, one tortoise of our adopted island, will grow up, and will make it. And the whole island of James will completely recover one day, because of our guests who have shown that visitors do care about the future of the Galapagos.
