Our expedition in Santa Cruz was very special due to the great diversity of wild life of the island plus the visit to the local communities of Puerto Ayora and the Highlands.
After breakfast, we landed at the main dock of the National Park Service, aiming to visit the rearing program of giant tortoises that has been working for several decades restoring the original population of this emblematic unique species of the archipelago. Our guests could see small hatchlings as well as big adult tortoises and get to know the conservation efforts done in the islands. All of this made the visit very special.
Later in the morning our guests had the opportunity to walk through town and see how the Galápagos locals live. Some were surprised to see quite a big town and how humans coexisted in harmony with the local wildlife. Shortly afterwards buses took us to the highlands to visit a farm owned by a nice local family that have made a big business out of the sugar cane juice. This cultural activity was fantastic to see.
In the afternoon, after a wonderful lunch, we went in search of giant tortoises in the wild. The area we explored was very humid. There were even small fresh water ponds with giant tortoises resting. It was a successful visit, many tortoises were found, surrounded by a local lush forest.
In the evening after dinner, we enjoyed some music and dances performed by a local band of musicians, their songs told stories about the Galápagos.
