We started our day exploring Santa Cruz. In the morning we visited to the Charles Darwin Research Station and the giant tortoise corrals. During this visit we had the opportunity to learn the different strategies of the conservation work carried out by this institution in the field of biological research.
After entering the Park service facilities, we encountered many of the titanic Galapagos giant tortoises. One of the main objectives of the breeding center, besides helping to restore the dynasty of these endemic reptiles, is to promote environmental education among the locals as they visit this area during the week.
We all headed to another area of the breeding center, where we spotted a male giant tortoise that was brought back to the islands from the San Diego Zoo. Nowadays he is the big star among the many conservation projects. He is known to be the one that helped save the species from Espanola Island from its own extinction. After several years, Diego, two other males and 12 females, have a bit over 1800 neonates repatriated to Espanola. “Super Diego” is his new name!
After visiting the Darwin Research Station we took a bus ride to the cool misty highlands of Santa Cruz for lunch and more exploration. Here, we had the opportunity to walk through a lava tube. This is a typical type of formation due to the volcanic origin of this archipelago. In the highlands of Santa Cruz, these large, gentle reptiles have made a great comeback since conservation work started.
We explored the forest and grasslands under some rain. This region is green throughout the year and it is home for many of the endemic species that inhabit our enchanted archipelago. As we explored the forest and grasslands we spotted several types of Darwin’s finches, yellow warblers, pintail ducks and giant tortoises bathing and cooling off in the muddy ponds.
This was the day of the giant reptiles, and the story of their life coexisting with a bit of the social flavor of the Galapagos Islands.
