Santa Cruz
We arrived back in civilization early this morning; Captain Pablo Garces dropped anchor just before sunrise in Academy Bay, off Santa Cruz Island. Having woken each morning this week, and seen only patchy green, rough volcanic uninhabited islands, it was a bit of a surprise to see buildings and houses along the shore today. Dozens of yachts and ships were anchored alongside us in the harbor. Puerto Ayora is the largest town in the Archipelago and is home to almost 20,000 Galapagaeños. The town’s inhabitants work in tourism, agriculture, and fishing or for the National Park and Charles Darwin Research Station. The Park and Station Headquarters are outside the town and after a breakfast of eggs benedict, we disembarked on the Park dock and followed a narrow paved road to a red cinder trail and a boardwalk to arrive at the tortoise breeding center.
We were delighted to see the tiny hatchling tortoises stumbling with robotic movements around their outdoor pens. Here they learn, as they explore and grow, how to deal with the lava rocks and spiny vegetation that they will face daily when they are released. They are covered at night with protective screens to safeguard them from predators and once they are large enough to fend for themselves they are repatriated to the islands of their origin. Tortoise populations that were on the brink of extinction have been increased to safe numbers and the captive breeding of the endangered giant tortoises is one of the most successful joint projects of the SPNG (National Park) and CDRS (Darwin Station).
Need I mention that it rained on us again today, just as we were leaving the Park and Station…but regardless, we enjoyed the mile walk along the waterfront to the town center. We browsed in the numerous bright souvenir boutiques, shopping and photographing as we went, and we were pleased with the friendliness and the cleanliness of this charming little town. Buses took us to the highlands and our first stop in the agricultural town of Bella Vista, was to see sugar cane pressed and to taste the fresh cane juice, cane alcohol, and local coffee. At Rancho El Chato we crossed through a lava tunnel and then served ourselves lunch from a bountiful buffet.
A bus full of guests accompanied me back down to town and out to the ship for a restful afternoon. Two buses of eager “do-it-all-ers” followed naturalists Christian and Tommy to Los Gemelos pit craters where they observed finches, orchids, and the endemic giant daisy trees (Scalesia). Then they went to look for wild tortoises and there were more than enough to go around: many of us were able to photograph our own private gigantic reptile!
Back on board the National Geographic Islander in the evening, the grand finale to a full and fabulous day, was a music and dance show performed by the local group EcoArte. Lots of laughter, dance, good music and camaraderie in the Islas Encantadas tonight…
