Santa Cruz Island
We arrived to Santa Cruz early in the morning, and with the first rays we enjoyed the view of the green humid highlands that seemed so far, but actually start only at a few hundred feet above sea level. After breakfast we visited the Charles Darwin Research Station, with its main programs, such as the breeding of tortoises and land iguanas from different islands. We walked through town and had a taste of how life is for the Galápagos people. However, my favorite part came later, when we got to the cooler highlands. First it was lunch, endemic lunch, combined with a great volleyball match. Then it was the visit to the twins, or pit craters, showed in this picture. These formations are kinds of sink holes typical of volcanic islands, surrounded by giant Scalesias. This enchanted forest is the perfect habitat for several species of Darwin’s finches. We spotted, for example, the small tree finch, the warbler finch, and the rare and amazing woodpecker finch. To contrast with the dark green hue of the many plants in this kind of cloud forest, we found the vermillion flycatcher perched behind the mosses, and saw some yellow warblers that brought even more color to the place.
The pit craters visit was combined with a search for tortoises in the wild. We found quite a few, roaring around. With a day fulfilled with giant reptiles and colourful birds, we returned to Polaris for dinner, and for dancing, as we had a Galápagos band on board!
We arrived to Santa Cruz early in the morning, and with the first rays we enjoyed the view of the green humid highlands that seemed so far, but actually start only at a few hundred feet above sea level. After breakfast we visited the Charles Darwin Research Station, with its main programs, such as the breeding of tortoises and land iguanas from different islands. We walked through town and had a taste of how life is for the Galápagos people. However, my favorite part came later, when we got to the cooler highlands. First it was lunch, endemic lunch, combined with a great volleyball match. Then it was the visit to the twins, or pit craters, showed in this picture. These formations are kinds of sink holes typical of volcanic islands, surrounded by giant Scalesias. This enchanted forest is the perfect habitat for several species of Darwin’s finches. We spotted, for example, the small tree finch, the warbler finch, and the rare and amazing woodpecker finch. To contrast with the dark green hue of the many plants in this kind of cloud forest, we found the vermillion flycatcher perched behind the mosses, and saw some yellow warblers that brought even more color to the place.
The pit craters visit was combined with a search for tortoises in the wild. We found quite a few, roaring around. With a day fulfilled with giant reptiles and colourful birds, we returned to Polaris for dinner, and for dancing, as we had a Galápagos band on board!
