Santa Cruz Island
Puerto Ayora, on Santa Cruz Island, is the largest town in Galápagos, its economic center, and the home of the Charles Darwin Research Station (CDRS). We began our day with a visit to the research station where we learned about some of the breeding efforts performed there. Lonesome George and Diego, two of the most well known giant tortoises, were out in the open in their corrals. Other giant tortoises ate their daily meal as we watched them only a few feet away.
A delicious lunch in a highland oasis, Altair, was a welcome break to the humid day. After the meal, we traveled further into the highlands to search for giant tortoises in the wild. Tromping through the muddy forest trails was half the adventure and well worth the encounters with several large tortoises traveling through the area on their migration route. One giant male tortoise walked along a mud path allowing us to see his immense size as he was raised up on his four legs. While some of the tortoises were found in clearings where they could easily be spotted, others were surrounded by dense vegetation.
During the daily recap, Roz Cameron with the Charles Darwin Research Station detailed current conservation issues facing Galápagos as well as efforts made by CDRS to preserve the island ecosystems. Traditional music and dancing by local artists concluded the very full land-based day on Santa Cruz.
