Early in the morning, we woke up in the harbor of the town of Puerto Ayora in the horizon. Today was fully devoted to the Galápagos giant tortoises. All our guests had high hopes of seeing the giant reptiles of the Galapagos in the wilderness. Right after breakfast, we started our expedition.
Santa Cruz Island is the base for the two main institutions that work as partners in the preservation of this enchanted archipelago, including the Galapagos National Park Service, which is an Ecuadorian governmental organization, and the world renowned Charles Darwin Research Station, both established in 1959. Both institutions work together to collect, incubate, reproduce, repatriate and ultimately save from extinction some of the vanishing Galapagos giant tortoises species. These days, the visitor center is undergoing a major remodeling, which includes the construction of a new mausoleum for Lonesome George, who was the most famous tortoise in the world before his death in 2012. A great hope for its lost species is the new hybrid additions, tortoises originated in Pinta and Floreana Islands. These individuals may repopulate Pinta one day, after a long, long absence.
After visiting the Darwin Centre, we had the opportunity to stroll along the streets of Puerto Ayora, the capital of Santa Cruz Island. The fishermen pier was one of the most interesting places to visit, with dozens of brown pelicans, frigatebirds and sea lions on the scene. At around noon, we travelled by bus to the highlands to continue with the planned activities of the day. Before lunch we made a brief but interesting stop to visit a local farm, at Bellavista, where a local Galápagos family showed us how they make a living by growing and processing sugar cane and coffee. Other guests visited a local school, and learned what a “pajama Friday” really means in Galapagos.
After lunch, we visited a ranch bordering the Galapagos National Park. This is in the ancient path of migration of giant tortoises, which we saw and enjoyed for the rest of the afternoon. Seeing these giants in the wild, roaming freely in the open fields, was an incredible experience.
As we returned to the ship, we reflected on this incredible day, the beautiful weather, the bustling energy of Puerto Ayora, and the tranquility of the highlands, with its gentle occupants. We experienced so much today, and we are excited to see what awaits us tomorrow, as our expedition in Paradise continues.
