Santa Cruz Island
We arrived this morning to the second largest island in the Galápagos, which has the largest human population; it holds the main quarters of the Charles Darwin Research Center and the National Park Service offices. The morning was dedicated to visiting the rearing center and learning about the restoration programs for Galápagos giant tortoises and land iguanas.
We had a wonderful opportunity to see the different varieties of giant tortoises and their diverse shell shapes. There are three main types: dome shape, saddle back and the “intermediate” variety. Fortunately we got to see all of those different types as we walked along the serene boardwalk path in the station. This area offers a great variety of plant life unique to the region, which gave us the chance to observe a many species of birds in their nests, especially the famous Darwin finches.
After our visit to the tortoises and the rearing center we headed to the main streets of Puerto Ayora, fully exploring this charming little town and its shops.
After a well deserved lunch up in the highlands we began our exploration, heading even further into the forest looking for giant tortoises in their natural habitat. We indeed found many of these famous reptiles; some were feeding while others were not doing much, but we all were very happy to see them just as the first explorers found them long ago.
Later on, as we arrived at the lush and green Scalesia (giant daisy) zone; we observed how intricate the ecosystem here is. Lots of ferns and epiphytes were covering the entire surroundings and as a consequence, a great habitat for land birds had been created. Darwin finches and the colorful Vermilion flycatcher were posing for a while for us all, giving our guests the chance to take excellent pictures.
We left the Scalesia forest behind and drove back to Puerto Ayora in the late afternoon; it has for sure been another magic day in the Enchanted Islands.
We arrived this morning to the second largest island in the Galápagos, which has the largest human population; it holds the main quarters of the Charles Darwin Research Center and the National Park Service offices. The morning was dedicated to visiting the rearing center and learning about the restoration programs for Galápagos giant tortoises and land iguanas.
We had a wonderful opportunity to see the different varieties of giant tortoises and their diverse shell shapes. There are three main types: dome shape, saddle back and the “intermediate” variety. Fortunately we got to see all of those different types as we walked along the serene boardwalk path in the station. This area offers a great variety of plant life unique to the region, which gave us the chance to observe a many species of birds in their nests, especially the famous Darwin finches.
After our visit to the tortoises and the rearing center we headed to the main streets of Puerto Ayora, fully exploring this charming little town and its shops.
After a well deserved lunch up in the highlands we began our exploration, heading even further into the forest looking for giant tortoises in their natural habitat. We indeed found many of these famous reptiles; some were feeding while others were not doing much, but we all were very happy to see them just as the first explorers found them long ago.
Later on, as we arrived at the lush and green Scalesia (giant daisy) zone; we observed how intricate the ecosystem here is. Lots of ferns and epiphytes were covering the entire surroundings and as a consequence, a great habitat for land birds had been created. Darwin finches and the colorful Vermilion flycatcher were posing for a while for us all, giving our guests the chance to take excellent pictures.
We left the Scalesia forest behind and drove back to Puerto Ayora in the late afternoon; it has for sure been another magic day in the Enchanted Islands.
