Santa Cruz Island
Santa Cruz its home for many unique species of the Galápagos, and also for many exotic ones, like human beings. People settled in Academy bay in 1926, and since then population has grown to about 15,000 inhabitants. I heard once a visitor commenting it was surprising to see everybody smiling on the streets, little kids, grandparents, young women and men. He thought it could be part of a façade, one of the things proper to a tourist town that has to look beautiful to outsiders. But the truth is that people smile naturally here; why not, since you wake up you see the turquoise shine coming from the sea and above your head frigates, boobies and pelicans pass by all the time; life is good in this tranquil place.
Of course, tranquil just to a certain extent. There are intricate connections, complicated relationships, people coming, people leaving, but even that is genuine part of Puerto Ayora. Sometimes it is better to look at it as the folkloric aspect of humans growing up in isolation, with the world adoring their home islands, indirectly feeding their pride for their place and for what they are.
Pride is good, if you channel it in the proper way. There are wonderful examples of Galápagenians that have given their lives to conservation in this archipelago. People working in the National Park, in the Charles Darwin Research Station, naturalists, writers, journalists, sailors, many that come from the Galápagos, and care for it. What can be a better example than the Tortoise breeding program? With more than 5000 baby tortoises already repatriated to their different home islands. Galápagos organizations are considered world leaders in restoration programs. We could go on and on with the great and amazing things happening around here. That should be one of the motors, the inspiration for a happy life in a tranquil town.
Santa Cruz its home for many unique species of the Galápagos, and also for many exotic ones, like human beings. People settled in Academy bay in 1926, and since then population has grown to about 15,000 inhabitants. I heard once a visitor commenting it was surprising to see everybody smiling on the streets, little kids, grandparents, young women and men. He thought it could be part of a façade, one of the things proper to a tourist town that has to look beautiful to outsiders. But the truth is that people smile naturally here; why not, since you wake up you see the turquoise shine coming from the sea and above your head frigates, boobies and pelicans pass by all the time; life is good in this tranquil place.
Of course, tranquil just to a certain extent. There are intricate connections, complicated relationships, people coming, people leaving, but even that is genuine part of Puerto Ayora. Sometimes it is better to look at it as the folkloric aspect of humans growing up in isolation, with the world adoring their home islands, indirectly feeding their pride for their place and for what they are.
Pride is good, if you channel it in the proper way. There are wonderful examples of Galápagenians that have given their lives to conservation in this archipelago. People working in the National Park, in the Charles Darwin Research Station, naturalists, writers, journalists, sailors, many that come from the Galápagos, and care for it. What can be a better example than the Tortoise breeding program? With more than 5000 baby tortoises already repatriated to their different home islands. Galápagos organizations are considered world leaders in restoration programs. We could go on and on with the great and amazing things happening around here. That should be one of the motors, the inspiration for a happy life in a tranquil town.
