Santa Cruz Island
Conservation was the topic today for all of us. Early in the morning we disembarked to visit sunny Puerto Ayora, the “T-shirt Capital” of the Galápagos Islands. Here is where the main headquarters of the Charles Darwin Research Station (CDRS) are located and our destination for the morning activities.
Right after disembarkation, we headed off to encounter the famous Galápagos giant tortoises. The CDRS, in collaboration with the Galápagos National Park, has created several programs through the years to repatriate tortoises that had been taken away from the islands. Nowadays, these tortoises are back in the Galápagos and at the station, helping carry out the research that is done with these animals to understand their behavior and their physiology.
One of the most successful programs for conservation with the giant tortoises had been also achieved here at the station, with the giant tortoises of the Española subspecies. This race was driven almost to the verge of extinction by the introduction of feral goats, their main enemy, which completely took over the small island. Only a dozen females and two males remained in existence forty years ago. It was at this stage that the Station decided to remove the remaining individuals from the island and transport them to the research station facilities to start a captive breeding program for their preservation. The San Diego Zoo got involved in this program by sending one male tortoise back that had been collected in the 60’s for research purposes. This male rapidly earned the nickname “Super Diego” and the respect of all of us for helping achieve the goal that we aimed for years ago, saving this subspecies!
Here in the picture, not a plane, not a train, it is “Super Diego” (not as fast as the previously mentioned objects though!)
Conservation was the topic today for all of us. Early in the morning we disembarked to visit sunny Puerto Ayora, the “T-shirt Capital” of the Galápagos Islands. Here is where the main headquarters of the Charles Darwin Research Station (CDRS) are located and our destination for the morning activities.
Right after disembarkation, we headed off to encounter the famous Galápagos giant tortoises. The CDRS, in collaboration with the Galápagos National Park, has created several programs through the years to repatriate tortoises that had been taken away from the islands. Nowadays, these tortoises are back in the Galápagos and at the station, helping carry out the research that is done with these animals to understand their behavior and their physiology.
One of the most successful programs for conservation with the giant tortoises had been also achieved here at the station, with the giant tortoises of the Española subspecies. This race was driven almost to the verge of extinction by the introduction of feral goats, their main enemy, which completely took over the small island. Only a dozen females and two males remained in existence forty years ago. It was at this stage that the Station decided to remove the remaining individuals from the island and transport them to the research station facilities to start a captive breeding program for their preservation. The San Diego Zoo got involved in this program by sending one male tortoise back that had been collected in the 60’s for research purposes. This male rapidly earned the nickname “Super Diego” and the respect of all of us for helping achieve the goal that we aimed for years ago, saving this subspecies!
Here in the picture, not a plane, not a train, it is “Super Diego” (not as fast as the previously mentioned objects though!)
