Today we dropped anchor at Academy Bay, located on Santa Cruz Island. This is the most populated island in the archipelago, and home to two very important institutions: the Charles Darwin Research Station and the National Park headquarters. These would be our first visits of the morning.
As the tortoise populations have severely suffered in Galapagos; thanks to buccaneers and others who hunted them for food, their numbers collapsed by 90%. So we visited the corrals where they are held with the sole purpose of reproduction. It was the first time on this trip that we saw giant tortoises, some from small little islands and some from large island like Santa Cruz.
After this, we spent some time exploring the town of Puerto Ayora, where the people of the islands have learned to live in harmony with nature. We enjoyed the little craft shops, the bustling streets, and the busiest site of all, the wharf, where fisherman cleaned their catch of the day in front of an audience of people, as well as hungry seabirds and sea lions.
Later we moved to the highlands, where the weather felt much cooler, and we visited a traditional sugar cane press, called El Trapiche. The owners of this farm explained their processes for producing sugar cane, as well as organic coffee and even some very strong alcohol. Our guests enjoyed the opportunity to sample some of these treats during our visit.
At the end of the day we moved to a private property in Santa Cruz. The owners of this place changed the landscape, from once being full of crops, into a lush haven for the giant tortoises. We hiked deep into this region to inspect lava tubes, and to enjoy some up close and personal time with these gentle giants.
The day finished late after dinner, when musicians and dancers from the community visited us onboard to perform some of their art. What an excellent way to end a fascinating day of exploration in Galapagos.
