Santa Cruz Island
We want to see Galápagos giant tortoises today! This is the expectation when we are about to visit Santa Cruz. This island is home to the Charles Darwin Research station and the Galapagos National Park Service. These two institutions are in charge of keeping the conservation program’s scientific research running.
In the morning we explored the giant tortoise’s pens at the Charles Darwin Research Station. Here we learned about the natural history of these enormous reptiles and the hard work of the institutions that carry out the conservation programs to keep this legacy alive. It is the work of the breeding programs to restore the populations of endangered iconic species of the Galápagos Islands. It also includes control and eradication of organisms alien to these islands. These can be plants and animal species.
The highlands of Santa Cruz are a different experience, a different flavor. This region is cool and misty; this is the habitat for the Galapagos giant tortoises. The landscape is lush green with forests and among all these elements we found the iconic giant reptiles. Some of them moving slowly, others grazing and even mating! This is the beginning of the breeding season and it coincides with the rainy months.
As part of our activity we visited a lava tube, evidence of the active volcanic past of this major island. As we explored the lava tube we spotted a barn owl resting in this quiet, cool place with dim light. Darwin’s finches also inhabit the forest. They share this ecosystem with the gentle giant reptiles that gave the name to the Galapagos Islands.
