Today we woke anchored in Academy Bay with the sight of Puerto Ayora in the distance, a beautiful and busy town. This island has the largest population of giant tortoises and also the biggest human settlement of the islands. Our first visit of the day was to the Charles Darwin Research Station, where we went to the breeding center of the giant tortoises, the most iconic project of the national park. Here we found mating tortoises, eggs, and baby giants, and we learned all about the station’s work and the other conservation projects on the islands. Walking through town, we got to see local life unfolding, including the fishermen’s market where sea lions and pelicans waited for some leftovers. Then we visited the highlands of Santa Cruz. On the way, we stopped at a small farm that sold coffee, sugarcane, and exotic fruits. We watched how “panela,” a local sweetener, is made. We also observed the process of roasting coffee and even got to taste the local moonshine, which was really strong. The best part of the day was yet to come: seeing giant tortoises in the wild! At “El Manzanillo Ranch,” we had lunch as tortoises roamed freely. We changed into rubber boots and went to get a close look of these gentle giants.
3/27/2024
Read
National Geographic Endeavour II
Santiago Island
We are having fun exploring the Galapagos Islands. Today we arrived at the center of the archipelago to explore two magical visitor sites, Buccaneer Cove and Puerto Egas. Early in the morning we explored the shoreline in our Zodiacs and we saw many marine turtles mating and blue-footed boobies diving or resting on the rocks. We also saw frigates, pelicans, terns, and more. After breakfast some of our guests went kayaking for a closer encounter with nature. The snorkeling was also spectacular. We saw three different types of sharks, including a hammerhead. We found a school of eagle rays, a wide variety of multicolor reef fish, and a zebra moray. In the afternoon we explored the coastal line of Puerto Egas. This destination is full of wildlife and along our walk we saw red neck lava lizards, finches, land iguanas, mockingbirds, and hawks. At the intertidal zone we found sea lions, and many migratory birds such as plovers, whimbrels, and ruddy turnstones. We had an amazing day!