Today we explored the island of Santa Cruz in the central realm of Galapagos, our day started by going to the Fausto Llerena Breeding Center, where we observed the continuous efforts to reproduce Galapagos giant tortoises in captivity. As we walked through the different areas of the center, we found babies, juveniles and adults from the different islands in their corrals, as well as Galapagos land iguanas. When the juveniles reach four years of age, they will be released on the same islands that their parents came from. Their populations are still threatened by introduced animals, so this is a very important program to save the tortoises from extinction.
After the walk around the breeding center, we headed to town to explore the community, and to contribute with the local economy by doing some shopping. Later in the morning, we boarded buses to go to the highlands to a small farm, while some of our guests chose to bike up to the farm instead. This farm is owned by a family who grows sugar cane and coffee. We learned all about the process of producing alcohol from sugar cane, as well as the production of coffee, from the moment it is hand-picked until is commercialized.
At the end of the morning, we drove to a local restaurant for lunch, after which we visited another farm that is found next to the Galapagos Giant Tortoises Reserve. Here we were able to observe several tortoises in their natural habitat, some feeding actively on the grasses while others wallowed in the mud. This area is on the migratory route of the tortoises, as the large males and females go to the moist uplands where food and fresh water is plentiful.
At the end of the afternoon, we returned aboard, where we enjoyed performances of live music from Galapagos and the Andes, and local dancers with their colorful costumes. It was a full and exciting day in Galapagos, and we are excited to see what tomorrow brings, as our expedition continues!
