As the sun rises and lights up the morning sky, the National Geographic Endeavor prepares to drop anchor in Academy bay. After breakfast an exciting day is awaiting our guests on Santa Cruz Island. Among the options for the morning was a very informative visit to the Charles Darwin Research Station to learn about the conservation and research projects conducted in the Galapagos. We were able to see Giant tortoises as part of a breeding program aiming to restore the dynasty of these giants in several islands of the archipelago. We met Diego or as we like to call him “Super Diego”, a giant tortoise originally from Hood Island that was taken and kept in the San Diego Zoo for several decades, and after returning to the Galapagos became part of one of the breeding programs and currently is the proud father of more than 1500 babies. After leaving the research center we had the opportunity to see the town of Puerto Ayora, walking on the main street (Charles Darwin Avenue) we encountered interesting shops and art galleries and of course the fishermen’s wharf which is a highlight that features pelicans, sea gulls, frigate birds, and sea lions waiting for the catch of the day.
We also offered a visit to a local school (Thomas de Berlanga) supported by the Lindblad/National Geographic fund. Our guests were able to learn about our commitment with the local community of the Galapagos, improving and promoting environmental education. Mountain biking was offered as a second option for the more active guests. They traveled from a village in the highlands (Bellavista) to a local organic farm (El Trapiche). Our guests tasted organic sugar honey, local cheese, organic coffee and a very special “agua ardiente” brewed for us.
We had an incredible lunch at a local highland restaurant, Aquelarre, hosted by Oswaldo, a Chilean living in the Galapagos for several decades who has become quite a character in the island community. After lunch we headed to “El Manzanillo”, a local farm that grants us entry to what is today one of the largest natural reserves for Giant tortoises. Surrounded by lush and green as we ventured into the heart of the forest, we spotted our first giant devouring a succulent piece of grass. We approached very slowly and we kept a distance to avoid stressing it and got incredible photos. Several other tortoises were found near a fresh water pond bathing, drinking and covering themselves with mud. It was a once in a lifetime experience to watch them in their natural habitat roaming free. They were completely unaware of any of us which gave us the feeling of watching alien species from another planet in their exotic world, “the Galapagos”.
