Santa Cruz

Our journey continued today to the island of Santa Cruz, and the scenery was distinctly interesting, as we encountered the human species in this "…world within itself..." Human culture around this planet has tried to find its place among nature and it is always interesting to see the interaction between ourselves and the incredible flora and fauna that surround us. We started our day at the Charles Darwin Station, learning about the efforts to recuperate populations of species that have been changed by behavior, in particular the unique giant tortoises.

Learning and applying methods of rearing and breading in captivity has helped the tortoise population bounce back from near extinction. Recently hatched giant tortoises are protected and raised to a safe size to repatriate them to their island of origin, while the efforts of many try to eliminate introduced species. As we share company with the future of the tortoise dynasty we feel invigorated that we have made a difference. We enter Puerto Ayora and we find a bustling town that is working hard to change its lifestyle to protect the future of the archipelago. Schools are integrating environmental education more everyday as we teach our children that we are part of nature and need to be respectful of it.

The next part of the adventure was to get to the Santa Cruz highlands in order to experience the humid vegetation zone. One of the main economic activities of the Galápagos is farming and agriculture, so part of our exploration was to visit plantations that are the economic base for local families. After a fantastic lunch in the highlands, it was time to get our gear ready for the next adventure of the day: the giant tortoise reserve.

In the afternoon the exploration got better, and the best way to begin it was to witness the marvels of giant tortoises in natural conditions. We arrived to the highlands of Santa Cruz, where a green and humid landscape is the predominant habitat of many species of finches and endemic species of giant daisy trees. We were lucky to spot several individuals of the Galápagos giant tortoises, along with the very rare vermilion flycatcher.

The endemic giants of the Galápagos are the emblematic species of this archipelago, and their conservation is the key for survival.