Santa Cruz Island
From start to finish, today was a fantastic day spent experiencing the island of Santa Cruz. We really covered it all! The fun started early with a short Zodiac cruise into the economic hub of Galápagos, a town called Puerto Ayora. There we began with a visit to the Charles Darwin Research Foundation to witness the process of ecological restoration for the Galápagos Islands. Naturalists explained how tortoises are bred and raised here until the shell becomes hard enough that they are safe from prey. At which point, they are released back into their natural habitat as part of this very successful repatriation program.
The second half of the day was very exciting, as this was our first chance to get into the highlands of the Galápagos and see how very different they are compared to the coastal areas we’ve seen so far. After a bit of shopping in town, we boarded busses to drive inland for a spectacular lunch and even an opportunity to swim at the beautiful open-air restaurant called Altair.
Once we were happily full (yet again!) we drove further inland into the cloud forest at an elevation of 2,000 feet. In this lush, green area we not only saw volcanic pit craters and forests of a variety of sunflower called Scalesia, but also several varieties of finch and were very lucky to find this handsome vermilion flycatcher.
On the way back down to the coast, we stopped by the farm of a Galápagos native for an amazing opportunity to see tortoises in the wild. What a privilege it is to be able to spend time observing these ancient creatures in their natural habitat, watching them eat and even hearing them breathe!
To top it all off, we enjoyed a presentation by a member of the Charles Darwin Research Foundation, followed by a live performance of Ecuadorian music and dancing. Another amazing day here in Galápagos!
From start to finish, today was a fantastic day spent experiencing the island of Santa Cruz. We really covered it all! The fun started early with a short Zodiac cruise into the economic hub of Galápagos, a town called Puerto Ayora. There we began with a visit to the Charles Darwin Research Foundation to witness the process of ecological restoration for the Galápagos Islands. Naturalists explained how tortoises are bred and raised here until the shell becomes hard enough that they are safe from prey. At which point, they are released back into their natural habitat as part of this very successful repatriation program.
The second half of the day was very exciting, as this was our first chance to get into the highlands of the Galápagos and see how very different they are compared to the coastal areas we’ve seen so far. After a bit of shopping in town, we boarded busses to drive inland for a spectacular lunch and even an opportunity to swim at the beautiful open-air restaurant called Altair.
Once we were happily full (yet again!) we drove further inland into the cloud forest at an elevation of 2,000 feet. In this lush, green area we not only saw volcanic pit craters and forests of a variety of sunflower called Scalesia, but also several varieties of finch and were very lucky to find this handsome vermilion flycatcher.
On the way back down to the coast, we stopped by the farm of a Galápagos native for an amazing opportunity to see tortoises in the wild. What a privilege it is to be able to spend time observing these ancient creatures in their natural habitat, watching them eat and even hearing them breathe!
To top it all off, we enjoyed a presentation by a member of the Charles Darwin Research Foundation, followed by a live performance of Ecuadorian music and dancing. Another amazing day here in Galápagos!
