Española Island, on the southeastern end of the archipelago, is an old shield volcano. This island is slowly but surely losing the battle against the elements, after drifting over 200 kilometers from its birthplace. AS of today, it is positioned on top of the Nazca plate, having drifted so far from its birth place and effectively losing all influence of the Galapagos Hotspot, the life force that fuels most volcanic activity in this group of islands. Despite being presently only a fraction of its original size, it is still home to vast numbers of sea birds, as well as an endemic species of mockingbird and lava lizard, unique not only to the archipelago, but specifically to Española. We explored the northeastern end of the island at Gardner Bay and nearby Gardner Islet during the morning and the western end at Suarez Point during the afternoon.
4/15/2025
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National Geographic Endeavour II
Santa Cruz Island
Today, we spent a full day on Santa Cruz Island where we immersed ourselves in one of the most important and unique conservation stories in the Galápagos. Our morning began at the Fausto Llerena Giant Tortoise Breeding Center where we witnessed the extraordinary efforts of Galapagos park rangers working to ensure the survival of these iconic reptiles. Inside the rearing pens, baby tortoises were freely exploring their surrounding areas while park rangers carefully measured the growth of the young tortoises, cleaned their enclosures, and explained the delicate process of repatriating these animals back into the wild once they reach a safe size. Just outside the enclosures, a large-billed flycatcher flew from branch to branch in the shade of a poison tree, adding a cheerful note to our visit. In the afternoon, we traveled to the highlands of Santa Cruz where we had the unforgettable opportunity to observe adult giant tortoises roaming freely in their natural habitat. One particularly impressive individual paused just a few feet in front of our group, offering a moment of silent connection. Seeing these majestic creatures in the wild, after witnessing their earliest stages of life this morning, brought the conservation message full circle in the most powerful way.
