Santa Cruz Island
Right in the heart of the archipelago we find the island of Santa Cruz. Being one of the four inhabited islands, it is the one that harbors the largest human population, too. With its houses lined up along its shores, it made us realize we were back in civilization. Many boats anchor at Academy Bay, which is where Puerto Ayora is located.
This morning we set off to visit the Charles Darwin Research Station, an internationally funded non-profit organization that has been established here since 1964. For almost five decades, the Research Station has joined efforts together with the Galápagos National Park Service to protect this fragile environment. Amongst their various goals is the restoration of the giant tortoise dynasty. Tortoise populations throughout the Galápagos were endangered or close to extinction, and as a prevention measure this emblematic creature has been bred in captivity. The program has proved successful, and today we could witness this fact amongst the various corrals. Eggs are artificially incubated at the Breeding Center, called Centro Fausto Llerena, and young tortoises are kept here until their shells have hardened enough to protect them against introduced predators once they’re repatriated back in their original islands. We saw these wonderful creatures at different stages of their lives, as well as several adults of both morphotypes, dome-carapaced and saddle-backed, belonging to this diverse archipelago. After the visit to the Darwin Centre, our guests had some time to explore the nearby town at their own pace. Puerto Ayora was founded in the late 1920’s by a group of Norwegian settlers, and now is a lively town that lives off the tourism industry.
In the afternoon an exploration to the humid regions of Santa Cruz Island was due. Buses took us to the highlands, and just before our delicious lunch at a local restaurant we stopped at the entrance into a lava tunnel. It is possible to walk through this natural formation as it is lit up, although we also brought our flashlights. It was a great experience! The humid zone of Santa Cruz is very interesting and very different as it is the area that stays moist during most of the year. A canopy of beautiful Scalesia trees still covers part of it, particularly in the area of “Los Gemelos” also called the “Pit Craters,” which are a couple of sinkholes, or the collapsed roof over a void magmatic chamber.
Not far from here is the farming zone, which happens to be the area that the naturally occurring giant tortoises prefer as foraging grounds. We visited one of the various farms that are in the migratory path of this amazing species unique to this archipelago, and we were able to found a few of them. The sighting of these real giants, relics of the past is unforgettable. Perhaps due to their respectable size, they didn’t seem to mind us observing them from nearby. We are truly thankful to the huge efforts constantly made by the Ecuadorians and also by international organizations to preserve these amazing creatures.
