Today is our first full day of the expedition. We started in Puerto Ayora, the largest town in the Galapagos Islands. Our buses were waiting to drive us to the highlands to visit El Trapiche. In this place, we saw the traditional way to produce local moonshine, sugar, coffee, and chocolate. Next, we explored two geological formations called gemelos, two sinkholes in the middle of the road. While visiting the gemelos, we were surrounded by a Scalesia forest, Darwin finches, and unique vegetation. Our naturalist informed us on the invasive species, and we learned how they have affected the native and endemic species of the islands.
Early in the afternoon, we headed to visit The Manzanillo Ranch. Lunch was waiting for us in a unique place where we were surrounded by the iconic Galapagos giant tortoises. After lunch, and in the company of our naturalist, we started exploring the place. It was an amazing experience to have those giants just next to us.
Later in the afternoon, some of the guests decided to visit the Charles Darwin Center, where the Giant Tortoise Breeding Center is located. We saw the baby Giant tortoises in captivity and learned about the ecology of the islands. Our naturalist explained how and why this project started.
As a final activity of this amazing day, some of the guests decided to explore Puerto Ayora. Later in the evening, cocktail hour and the traditional recaps were ready aboard National Geographic Islander II.
