Academy Bay, situated on the southern side of Santa Cruz, was our anchorage point for the day. Santa Cruz has an area of approximately four hundred square miles and is the most populated island in the archipelago, yet the second largest in size. It is a place of marvels, the headquarters of both the National Park and the Charles Darwin Research Station are found here.
Disembarkation occurred at eight in the morning at the National Park’s official dock. After a short walk through a local arid forest, our guests arrived to the rearing center of giant tortoises. At this site, the little hatchlings became the stars of the show. One of the most remarkable things of the visit is to be able to see the rearing program step by step, starting with the newborn tortoises through to the ones about to be repatriated. The creation of this center was made possible by the move to preserve the giant tortoise of the Galapagos, considering whalers almost took them to extinction in the past.
During the day it was very special to see a populated place for the first time. Most guests went shopping to mingle with the local people. Others enjoyed walking to a fish market, which was packed with brown pelicans and a couple of sea lions waiting for a little bit of easy food.
After lunch we loaded buses to go explore the grasslands of Santa Cruz. A big lagoon surrounded by giant tortoises was the attraction in this place. It was very special to pick our own tortoise and be standing next to it observing its behavior for a while. Many others were actively feeding and walking.
The day came to an end but with a lot of memories. We look forward to visiting a new place tomorrow in the enchanted islands!
