Santa Cruz
This morning we arrived at the island of Santa Cruz, the second largest island in the Galápagos Archipelago and home to its largest population, 20,000 inhabitants. The island is also home to the Charles Darwin Research Station and the headquarters of the Galápagos National Park.
After breakfast we arrived in Puerto Ayora to visit one of the largest programs run by the Galápagos National Park: the breeding of giant tortoises. In the breeding center we met Lonesome George, the last surviving tortoise from Pinta Island. There are also adult tortoises from Española that live at the station where they breed in captivity. Their progeny born in the center are waiting to be released in the islands once they reach maturity.
The giant tortoises of Galápagos are vulnerable exotic species introduced to islands by humans such as goats, donkeys, wild pigs, dogs, cats and rats. Introduced species eat their eggs or their young. Apart from that, these magnificent creatures were driven to near extinction for their meat by pirates, whalers and early inhabitants of the islands. The extinction of many races of giant tortoises reminds us that protecting the ecosystems of the Galápagos is not an option for us but surely an obligation.
After visiting the station we walked back downtown where we had the opportunity to shop and explore the village and island life.
By 11:00 we were transported by bus to the top of the island, the small village of Bellavista, where we tasted the juice of sugar cane, coffee grown on the island and traditionally made liquor. Just before lunch at a local restaurant owned by a native of the Galápagos, we had the opportunity to walk through a lava tunnel about 400m long. After a great meal, we went in search of giant tortoises in the wild.
This day we had the opportunity to appreciate not only the magnificent giant tortoises, a symbol of the islands, but also the people essential for the conservation and sustainable development of fragile ecosystems like the Galápagos Islands.
