Isabela Island
Today I came back from Isabela Island with a huge smile on my face, fulfilled with the new discoveries we had made. These were discoveries of all kinds. We found flamingoes in different brackish lagoons along the various trails, and black-necked stilts together with gallinules and white-cheeked pintail ducks. However, my happiness originated principally in the discovery of the great people who inhabit this place.
For many years we have visited Isabela Island, but only the northern shores, completely isolated from civilization and the human world. This week we have expanded our knowledge of the island, visiting its southeasternmost part, the picturesque and tiny village of Puerto Villamil.
We landed on a pretty dock, in front of a white sandy beach, many miles long. We got to the National Park corrals, the breeding center for the different giant tortoise subspecies specifically from this island. However, my highlight was to encounter the whole town submerged in a great contest. The kids of Isabela had brought their dogs to the harbormaster’s headquarters to compete for the prize of being the best looking and healthiest dog in town. This has been part of a campaign to encourage people to take care of their pets and have them sterilized, for the sake of public health and the survival of the native species.
This campaign has been very succesful. It has had the support of “Animal Balance” together with the National Park Service, and three hundred out of the four hundred dogs of the town have taken part in the program. It was touching to find most of the inhabitants of Villamil attending the contest; it was a feast with DJ and guitars. The kids were proud of their dogs, and I was pleased with the confidence that good things are happening in the Galápagos, and especially to Isabela Island.
Today I came back from Isabela Island with a huge smile on my face, fulfilled with the new discoveries we had made. These were discoveries of all kinds. We found flamingoes in different brackish lagoons along the various trails, and black-necked stilts together with gallinules and white-cheeked pintail ducks. However, my happiness originated principally in the discovery of the great people who inhabit this place.
For many years we have visited Isabela Island, but only the northern shores, completely isolated from civilization and the human world. This week we have expanded our knowledge of the island, visiting its southeasternmost part, the picturesque and tiny village of Puerto Villamil.
We landed on a pretty dock, in front of a white sandy beach, many miles long. We got to the National Park corrals, the breeding center for the different giant tortoise subspecies specifically from this island. However, my highlight was to encounter the whole town submerged in a great contest. The kids of Isabela had brought their dogs to the harbormaster’s headquarters to compete for the prize of being the best looking and healthiest dog in town. This has been part of a campaign to encourage people to take care of their pets and have them sterilized, for the sake of public health and the survival of the native species.
This campaign has been very succesful. It has had the support of “Animal Balance” together with the National Park Service, and three hundred out of the four hundred dogs of the town have taken part in the program. It was touching to find most of the inhabitants of Villamil attending the contest; it was a feast with DJ and guitars. The kids were proud of their dogs, and I was pleased with the confidence that good things are happening in the Galápagos, and especially to Isabela Island.
