Española Island is the oldest of the Galapagos Islands, as it sits on the southeastern end of the archipelago. The islands are of volcanic origin and form because of the activity of what geologists call a hot spot. As the Nazca Plate slides to the southeast over the volcano, new islands develop. This means that the islands towards the northwest are the youngest, and the ones on the opposite end are the oldest.
2/27/2025
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National Geographic Endeavour II
Santa Cruz Island
After being in touch with pure nature for many days, we reached civilization for one day. After breakfast, some of us decided to visit the Charles Darwin Breeding Center to admire the conservation programs that take place there. This work not only encompasses the tortoises, but other species that have been threatened in previous centuries by introduced plants and animals. Despite the heat and humidity, we had the opportunity to support the local economy until we got split into groups to visit the highlands of the island. One group went to the sugarcane plantation and the other visited the hydroponic farm. Both visits made us realize how people make a living in a sustainable way that remains harmless to nature. We followed up our tours with a terrific lunch. When we were finished, it started to rain, but once it slowed down, most of us decided to walk with our ponchos to look for the giant tortoises roaming in the wild.
