Santa Cruz Island
What a full day! Our morning visit at the Charles Darwin Research Station allowed us to view the process of gigantism of the Galápagos tortoises. The giant tortoises are raised in captivity for 2 to 8 years, so we had the opportunity to see them in all ages and stages: yearlings, teenagers and full grown adults. The National Park Service and the Charles Darwin Station run conservation and repatriation programs in order to recover populations that were close to extinction. Nowadays, more than 3000 tortoises have been released back in the wild, therefore, the vegetation has recovered as well, because the tortoise’s droppings are effective seed dispersals. After our visit we had the chance to go shopping in Puerto Ayora.
We spent the afternoon in the Highlands of Santa Cruz. Along the bus ride we could notice the different vegetation zones and the climate change. At 1800 ft above sea level, it was cooler and lush. We visited an impressive geological formation, pit craters, known as “Los Gemelos” (the twins), which is surrounded by an endemic Scalesia forest. Scalesias represent Darwin’s finches in the plant kingdom. Out of common ancestor there are 21 different species that have radiated and adapted to the islands. Hiking in the tree-like Scalesia forest a curious Vermillion flycatcher showed us its beauty, nevertheless, the tool-user woodpecker finch, short-eared owl, and several species of finches were seen.
We walked in an area where dome-shaped tortoises wander around in their migration path. Sometimes tortoises produce a hissing sound when they sense danger, which many people mistakenly interpret as a hostile gesture, but they inhale by means of two muscles located next to the hind leg sockets, below the vital organs. When these expand, they allow air to extend the lungs, much the same way the diaphragm works in mammals. To exhale, they use a third, complex muscle that pushes the vital organs against the lungs, forcing the air out. While observing the giant tortoises, surprisingly, the endemic Galápagos rail ran in between the vegetation. Finally, back on board we enjoyed the performance dancing from the local group “Identidad de Galápagos”.
What a full day! Our morning visit at the Charles Darwin Research Station allowed us to view the process of gigantism of the Galápagos tortoises. The giant tortoises are raised in captivity for 2 to 8 years, so we had the opportunity to see them in all ages and stages: yearlings, teenagers and full grown adults. The National Park Service and the Charles Darwin Station run conservation and repatriation programs in order to recover populations that were close to extinction. Nowadays, more than 3000 tortoises have been released back in the wild, therefore, the vegetation has recovered as well, because the tortoise’s droppings are effective seed dispersals. After our visit we had the chance to go shopping in Puerto Ayora.
We spent the afternoon in the Highlands of Santa Cruz. Along the bus ride we could notice the different vegetation zones and the climate change. At 1800 ft above sea level, it was cooler and lush. We visited an impressive geological formation, pit craters, known as “Los Gemelos” (the twins), which is surrounded by an endemic Scalesia forest. Scalesias represent Darwin’s finches in the plant kingdom. Out of common ancestor there are 21 different species that have radiated and adapted to the islands. Hiking in the tree-like Scalesia forest a curious Vermillion flycatcher showed us its beauty, nevertheless, the tool-user woodpecker finch, short-eared owl, and several species of finches were seen.
We walked in an area where dome-shaped tortoises wander around in their migration path. Sometimes tortoises produce a hissing sound when they sense danger, which many people mistakenly interpret as a hostile gesture, but they inhale by means of two muscles located next to the hind leg sockets, below the vital organs. When these expand, they allow air to extend the lungs, much the same way the diaphragm works in mammals. To exhale, they use a third, complex muscle that pushes the vital organs against the lungs, forcing the air out. While observing the giant tortoises, surprisingly, the endemic Galápagos rail ran in between the vegetation. Finally, back on board we enjoyed the performance dancing from the local group “Identidad de Galápagos”.
