Santa Cruz Island
At about 6:00 am, we reached Academy Bay, at Santa Cruz Island, to visit Puerto Ayora, home to some 15,000 inhabitants and the economic hub of the archipelago. We started our day by landing at the dock of the Galápagos National Park, to visit the Charles Darwin Research Station (CDRS) and National Park Headquarters, where scientists gather information for the conservation of the island's unique biota. The CDRS works closely with the GNPS in one of the most significant and successful programs in the ecological restoration of the islands: the giant tortoise breeding program. We saw baby tortoises or “galapaguitos” of different islands and ages, all born under captivity at the station. Then we had the chance to encounter the famous, “Lonesome George,” the only individual alive from Pinta subspecies, and all the adult population of Española Island kept here as reproductive individuals, as well as other large tortoises involved with increasing the population.
After the Darwin Station, we walked back through town and our guests had the chance to witnesses how local people live here and the normal activities of the town, the fish market and of course the many shopping alternatives. Then we boarded our transport for a 30-minute drive to the highlands to a charming restaurant called “Altair,” where we had a delicious homemade lunch, a chance to swim at the pool, and a very special sport: the “Lindblad” volleyball game between guests and naturalist!
After lunch, three options for activities were placed:
The first one was to continue by bus further into the highlands to visit a pair of huge pit craters, Los Gemelos, where several species of Darwin's finches, ferns, orchids, and small birds were spotted on a forest of epiphyte-laden endemic Scalesia trees. Then and after another short bus ride, we went into a private property, located in the middle of the tortoise migratory route, to search for tortoises in the wild.
With option two, guests were driven directly to the highlands in search of tortoises.
Option three was placed for those who wanted to return to Puerto Ayora for a free afternoon or maybe some more shopping.
After all these activities, we all came back to the ship at around 6:00 pm to enjoy a very interesting talk by one of the representatives of the Charles Darwin Foundation, followed by dinner and live music. Another day, full of activities and education!
