Santa Cruz Island
We have returned to the central part of the Galápagos Archipelago. Today we spent the whole day exploring the island of Santa Cruz, which is the operational center for many of the tour boats. Several dozen were anchored in Academy Bay. This bay is named after a sailboat from the California Academy of Science that spent time here, doing research in the islands, in the early nineteenth century.
Puerto Ayora is the main port of Santa Cruz. More than fifteen thousand people live here, making it the largest town in the Galápagos. After a smooth disembarkation and an easy walk along a paved road, we visited the Darwin Station. Here our guests were happy to get a good look at the most famous giant tortoise in the world, “Lonesome George.” George is not always easy to see, but today we were lucky and found him outside his brushy hideaway. Everyone also enjoyed watching the tiny baby tortoises and hearing about the Station’s and Park’s success breeding them in captivity.
Santa Cruz is one of the few places where there is easy access to giant tortoises in the wild. Following lunch we explored a farm in the highlands in search of wild tortoises. The area is called El Chato Tortoise Reserve. Although this is not the best time of the year to find them (most are in the lowlands breeding during these months), we managed to locate five huge old males. We spent time looking for finches and the brilliant red vermillion flycatchers in the Reserve and around two twin pit craters, Los Gemelos. And, so as not to forget our visit to this lovely island, most of us are taking home something purchased – perhaps a T-shirt, some postcards or a vegetable ivory carving - along “the T-shirt” mile of the clean and friendly town of Puerto Ayora.
We have returned to the central part of the Galápagos Archipelago. Today we spent the whole day exploring the island of Santa Cruz, which is the operational center for many of the tour boats. Several dozen were anchored in Academy Bay. This bay is named after a sailboat from the California Academy of Science that spent time here, doing research in the islands, in the early nineteenth century.
Puerto Ayora is the main port of Santa Cruz. More than fifteen thousand people live here, making it the largest town in the Galápagos. After a smooth disembarkation and an easy walk along a paved road, we visited the Darwin Station. Here our guests were happy to get a good look at the most famous giant tortoise in the world, “Lonesome George.” George is not always easy to see, but today we were lucky and found him outside his brushy hideaway. Everyone also enjoyed watching the tiny baby tortoises and hearing about the Station’s and Park’s success breeding them in captivity.
Santa Cruz is one of the few places where there is easy access to giant tortoises in the wild. Following lunch we explored a farm in the highlands in search of wild tortoises. The area is called El Chato Tortoise Reserve. Although this is not the best time of the year to find them (most are in the lowlands breeding during these months), we managed to locate five huge old males. We spent time looking for finches and the brilliant red vermillion flycatchers in the Reserve and around two twin pit craters, Los Gemelos. And, so as not to forget our visit to this lovely island, most of us are taking home something purchased – perhaps a T-shirt, some postcards or a vegetable ivory carving - along “the T-shirt” mile of the clean and friendly town of Puerto Ayora.
