Santa Cruz Island, the Highlands and the Tortoise Breeding Center
This day began with clear skies above and clouds over the horizon, through which the sun began to rise; as we began our Zodiac ride to the dock we had big expectations for the day. Before disembarking we could see several brown pelicans perching in the mangrove forest and right after arrival several marine iguanas were swimming in the water and began to crawl up to the same dock were we disembarked.
As we walked to see the Galápagos National Park Service’s tortoise breeding program and visit the Charles Darwin Research Station, several Darwin’s finches moved from one tree to the next, probably looking for some food or maybe a mate. Opuntia cacti of different sizes made a beautiful forest throughout the entire walk before meeting the giants of the Galápagos.
The breeding program has been very successful in reintroducing thousands of tortoises to the wild. We began with the smallest juvenile tortoises, crawling in their corrals, some born this year, others born last year; these little creatures moved like little all-terrain vehicles between the rocks. Sometime in the future these “babies” will become giants, like their ancestors.
The highlight of the visit was to see Lonesome George in his corral; he was resting, while a female moved nearby. He is not so “lonesome” anymore; however he has not paid any attention to the females that share his corral. We continued with the visit to this area and had the opportunity to see other species of tortoises from different islands.
The walk through town was a good chance to appreciate the diversity of souvenirs available from these islands. Then it was time for the rest of our activities, first having lunch at a restaurant in the highlands.
After lunch, we explored new areas and searched for giant tortoises in the wild; we visited a ranch where these giants wander around. This time we had the chance to meet them close-up, and as we walked amongst the tall grasses a giant tortoise suddenly appeared in front of us.
The day ended after a local music group came onboard and played several songs.
