The garua season is more dominant now on these islands and the morning was chilly, cloudy and covered by “drizzle.” However a great day was had because today we saw many tortoises, in captivity as part of a program at the Charles Darwin Research Center, and in the wild in the mountains of Santa Cruz.
We anchored just off Academy Bay and visited the town of Puerto Ayora. The bay was named after the California Academy of Sciences and their important collecting expeditions that came to Galápagos in the early 1900’s. Puerto Ayora (named after a much loved Ecuadorian president) is the largest town in the islands with over 20,000 inhabitants, and is also the home of the headquarters of both the Charles Darwin Research Station and the Galápagos National Park Service. At 8:00 a.m. we went to visit the captive breeding center where giant tortoises that are endangered are being raised and then repatriated to the islands of their origin. This tortoise breeding project has been very successful and since it began in the mid-1960’s several thousands of juvenile tortoises from different islands have been released into the wild. A good example of this is the Española tortoises, which at the beginning of the program were 15 individuals and now are up to two thousand. In other words we are restoring the dynasty of the most representative animal of Galápagos.
After the visit to the Charles Darwin Research Center we walked into town to explore the people, culture, and the local “Galapagueños.” Some of us enjoyed shopping and taking photos, and we all had a good time at the fish market where a brazen sea lion and several pelicans were begging for fish scraps from the fishermen who were cleaning their fish. We gathered at “The Rock” café for a glass of juice and then boarded buses to take us to the highlands.
One of the highlights of the day was the visit to the sugar cane press and coffee plantation, where our guests delighted the local organic coffee, some moonshine, which is locally made liquor 65% proof, and by the fact of visiting a local family that lives in a very natural way harvesting all the products they have.
Later we moved to a restaurant close to the natural tortoise reserve for lunch, and then we went to visit a very impressive volcanic formation known as lava tunnel, where we walked in and enjoyed this creation by Mother Nature. It was an amazing experience to be a few feet underground exploring the heart of these islands. Several giant tortoises were found all over the place, and to see them in the wild was very special. You see how majestic and how important they are for the ecosystem of the highlands.
Finally we came back on board to rest after a full day of exploration. After dinner some local musicians and dancer came aboard to entertain to us and to show their skills. It was a great interaction and for sure our guests learned more about local people. It was a great ending for a great day!
