Santa Cruz Island, 5/26/2022, National Geographic Endeavour II
Aboard the
National Geographic Endeavour II
Galápagos
Guests onboard National Geographic Endeavour II spent the day exploring Santa Cruz Island. We visited the Charles Darwin Research Station and the captive breeding center followed by the Trapiche Farm in the highlands. Finally, guests observed and photographed Santa Cruz giant tortoises at Manzanillo Ranch.
Sebastian was born in the enchanted land of the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador, and has spent his life between the two opposite environments of a large, bustling city and a remote island paradise.
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We arrived at Academy Bay early in the morning. Santa Cruz Island has a large population of giant tortoises as well as the breeding center for giant tortoises that belongs to the Galapagos National Park. We had a great time observing tortoises in captivity as well as in the wild. We also had a great opportunity to see the saddleback tortoises as well as the dome-shaped carapace. A very important aspect of the archipelago is not only the giant tortoises but also the unusual vegetation, such as the giant daisies and giant prickly pear cacti. We had a great time exploring this island and observing the wildlife as well as spending some time with the local community.
Today we visited the centrally located Santiago Island and enjoyed many different activities, including a pre-breakfast excursion searching for wildlife. Then we repositioned to Buccaneer Cove where a variety of water activities were offered, including kayaking, paddle boarding, snorkeling, glass bottom boating, and Zodiac rides. Today was exceptionally calm, with clear waters for us all to enjoy lots of marine wildlife, like turtles, an octopus, and many different species of fish. We enjoyed lunch and then we made our way to another visitor site, Puerto Egas. Here, we saw fur seals, iguanas, shore birds, and sea lions. We also explored a black sand beach. An incredible sunset accompanied us as we headed back to National Geographic Endeavour II for our navigation toward our next day’s adventures. We are now a big family!
Waking up surrounded by Isabela Island volcanoes was truly a beautiful start to the day. Their shapes created a stunning landscape very characteristic of the northwestern islands. Their shield shape, with clouds on the summit of their calderas, is a very common site during the start of the rainy season. This island offered us a day full of wildlife on land and underwater. Land iguanas, giant tortoises, and Galapagos penguins made for a magical experience that we’ll keep in our memories forever.
