Santa Cruz is home to the largest of the giant tortoises and we will be spending the entire day among these amazing creatures.
Our first stop is the Charles Darwin Research Center located in Puerto Ayora, the most populated town in Galapagos. The Galapagos National Park Service and the Charles Darwin Foundation are among the most respected conservation institutions in the world. As partners, they have managed to save the giant tortoises from going extinct. By saving the tortoises, they have also saved many other reptiles.
The breeding program started back in the 1960s with the Española subspecies. The number of tortoises had been going down due to the presence of introduced species such as goats and donkeys. These mammals ate much of the vegetation leaving the tortoises without food and shelter from the sun. After years of research and hard work, more than 2,000 young tortoises have been breed and repatriated to their island of origin. They are now reproducing in the wild without human intervention. This closes the circle and makes the breeding project a complete success.
In the afternoon we visited the Santa Cruz highlands, where the tortoises in the wild kept our explorers excited and busy. It was amazing to see the tortoises in their natural habitat. A bit of drizzle made the scene very dramatic. Walking among the incredible friendly creatures made us feel transported back to a time when the tortoises roamed the islands by themselves.
It was an incredible day. Without a doubt, the giant tortoises are the highlight of the week!
