Last night we dropped anchor at Academy Bay, located in the southern realm of Santa Cruz Island, and this morning, after breakfast, we landed at the main dock of Puerto Ayora. This is the largest town in the archipelago, and the location of the main headquarters of the Charles Darwin Research Station and the Galapagos National Park.
After a short bus ride, we arrived to the entrance of the park. Here we explored the coastal zone, where we observed different species of endemic and native plants, as well as some Darwin finches. We had a great warm morning, with spectacular blue skies and a nice gentle breeze. As we arrived to the Fausto LLerena Breeding Center, we started to look at the different types of Galapagos giant tortoises that are bred here, and we learned about their natural history. One of our highlights was to see a live stream of one of the scientists feeding a small mangrove finch by hand—this is one of the projects that are taking place at the Darwin Station.
Later on, we headed into the town of Puerto Ayora, where there was enough time to observe how the locals make their living. We also had the opportunity to contribute to the local economy, by buying some handicrafts made in the Galapagos. Just before noon, we loaded onto local buses and drove to the highlands, where we spent some time at a family-owned farm and learned about their way of life, and how they produce coffee and alcohol.
At the end of the morning, we went to a local restaurant to have lunch, and later on we went to another area where Galapagos giant tortoises can be found in the wild. We encountered males, females, and juveniles most of them feeding on the grasses of this farm. There were also some Bahama’s pintail ducks swimming in a nearby pond and actively feeding. It was a magical afternoon, and we relished the opportunity to see these gentle giants roaming freely. After this full and exciting day, we headed back to the National Geographic Endeavour, where we had a great evening with a performance by local dancers and musicians.
