Santa Cruz Island
What a wonderful day we had today! We spend the entire day on the second largest island of the Galápagos, Santa Cruz. In the morning we visited the town of Puerto Ayora which is home to the Charles Darwin Research Station and the headquarters of the National Park. At the Station we enjoyed the proximity and interactions with the most emblematic reptile of the islands, the Galápagos giant tortoise. We learned about the extremely successful captive breeding program that has restored tortoises to a natural balance on several islands. We observed lonesome George and Diego; two male tortoises that are helping to increase the size of their dwindled populations. One day we will look back and remember these two super successful breeders as a very important part of the species comeback.
The station has a small but impressive display of land iguanas which are now starting their breeding season, and oh boy did they show off today! When we arrived they were sunning and resting, then suddenly to our surprise it seems the male was triggered by the female’s scent and he approached her. She was quite receptive to his reaction and they both nodded and bobbed their heads approaching one other. We felt heart-warmed and there were many romantic and funny comments which brought laughter and joy to the moment.
This was a sunny and vibrant day, of ravishing colors and activity and movement from all creatures in the islands; today we had gorgeous blue sky, and a gentle breeze which was a welcome setting for our activities. After a visit to the port, we took boarded motor coaches which reached 1400 feet in elevation in about 30 minutes time. Here we found a totally different ecology in the lush green highlands of the island. We were surrounded by abundant vegetation and after crossing by foot through a lava tunnel carved by Mother Nature, we were ready to have a well deserved lunch.
Afterwards we drove down to 900 feet on a “Galápagos safari” and counted more then 20 tortoises along the bumpy dirt road. We disembarked from the coaches at a pleasant pond where tortoises gather to drink water. A gentle breeze, tranquility and the “sound” of trees, takes us back in time and we feel like the first visitors. This is surreal scenery and the tortoises look almost like shiny boulders walking about, moving freely as they always have; it is an astonishing setting.
Back on the bus we drive to 2000 feet and we are encircled by a Scalesia forest, an endemic species closely related to the sunflower. We approach large pit-caters and it is difficult to describe their magnificence. No pictures or words can capture these immense and majestic holes, carved by nature and only a small display of her mighty power.
As we made our way back down to Puerto Ayora to board the ship, I was approached by one of our guests exclaiming about the magic of this place and the contagious joyfulness. “You are right, Bob” I replied, “We are having a blast, and this is a miraculous place!” No wonder we call these “the Enchanted Islands.”
What a wonderful day we had today! We spend the entire day on the second largest island of the Galápagos, Santa Cruz. In the morning we visited the town of Puerto Ayora which is home to the Charles Darwin Research Station and the headquarters of the National Park. At the Station we enjoyed the proximity and interactions with the most emblematic reptile of the islands, the Galápagos giant tortoise. We learned about the extremely successful captive breeding program that has restored tortoises to a natural balance on several islands. We observed lonesome George and Diego; two male tortoises that are helping to increase the size of their dwindled populations. One day we will look back and remember these two super successful breeders as a very important part of the species comeback.
The station has a small but impressive display of land iguanas which are now starting their breeding season, and oh boy did they show off today! When we arrived they were sunning and resting, then suddenly to our surprise it seems the male was triggered by the female’s scent and he approached her. She was quite receptive to his reaction and they both nodded and bobbed their heads approaching one other. We felt heart-warmed and there were many romantic and funny comments which brought laughter and joy to the moment.
This was a sunny and vibrant day, of ravishing colors and activity and movement from all creatures in the islands; today we had gorgeous blue sky, and a gentle breeze which was a welcome setting for our activities. After a visit to the port, we took boarded motor coaches which reached 1400 feet in elevation in about 30 minutes time. Here we found a totally different ecology in the lush green highlands of the island. We were surrounded by abundant vegetation and after crossing by foot through a lava tunnel carved by Mother Nature, we were ready to have a well deserved lunch.
Afterwards we drove down to 900 feet on a “Galápagos safari” and counted more then 20 tortoises along the bumpy dirt road. We disembarked from the coaches at a pleasant pond where tortoises gather to drink water. A gentle breeze, tranquility and the “sound” of trees, takes us back in time and we feel like the first visitors. This is surreal scenery and the tortoises look almost like shiny boulders walking about, moving freely as they always have; it is an astonishing setting.
Back on the bus we drive to 2000 feet and we are encircled by a Scalesia forest, an endemic species closely related to the sunflower. We approach large pit-caters and it is difficult to describe their magnificence. No pictures or words can capture these immense and majestic holes, carved by nature and only a small display of her mighty power.
As we made our way back down to Puerto Ayora to board the ship, I was approached by one of our guests exclaiming about the magic of this place and the contagious joyfulness. “You are right, Bob” I replied, “We are having a blast, and this is a miraculous place!” No wonder we call these “the Enchanted Islands.”
