Today we were visiting one of the four inhabited islands, which is also my home island, Santa Cruz. The Galapagos Archipelago was annexed to Ecuador in 1832, and since then the Ecuadorian Government has tried to maintain a community settlement in this remote, unique and wonderful place.
During our visit today to Santa Cruz, the National Geographic Endeavour guests experienced encounters with the emblematic animals of the Galapagos—the giant tortoises!
In the morning, we visited the Giant Tortoises’ breeding center, located at the Charles Darwin Station facilities. This is the most successful restoration program carried out by the Galapagos National Park Service, together with the scientists of the Darwin Station. We saw the tiny babies and the huge adults in their corrals, and learned all about how these little tortoises will, one day, be repatriated to their home islands.
What is more, our guests had time to go shopping in Puerto Ayora and help the local community. Afterwards, our buses took us to the highlands to visit “El Trapiche” farm. The owner, Adriano, greeted us and explained how they produce sugar cane syrup, brown sugar, and sugar cane. We also had a chance to taste the moon shine that they produce. Visiting this site gave our guests a firsthand glimpse at how the locals live in an island located so far away, how hard it is and how everything changes with the time.
After our visit, we enjoyed a great lunch at a private farm, “Aquelarre”, which has a wonderful restaurant with an awesome garden. The food was delicious! From here, a short bus ride took us to the main attraction of the day: the Galapagos giant tortoises in their natural environment. We were able to approach to these enormous and gentle reptiles, which were all around. This is an unforgettable experience! Our guests enjoyed taking great pictures, and we had the help of Kenton Rowe, a certified Photo Instructor, who gave our guests great tips for getting awesome captures. It was a long but great day today, and soon it was time to go back on board the National Geographic Endeavour. Another great day spent in paradise!
