Santa Cruz Island
Academy Bay was the first thing we saw this morning as we opened the doors of the Polaris. Its vibrant town, which holds more than fifteen thousand souls nowadays, was chosen long ago to be the economic engine that motors the continuously growing tourism industry here developed.
Our morning was concentrated to explore the Charles Darwin Research Station (CDRS) and the town itself, providing us with an excellent combination of scientific/conservation information and the opportunity to investigate how people live in an area so isolated from the rest of the world.
After supporting the economy of the town, entire families travelling on board the Polaris seemed very happy as they strolled the rather small streets at downtown Puerto Ayora.
Our lunch took place in an isolated area up in the highlands. Tall tress and extremely lush vegetation surrounded us for the rest of the afternoon, as our goal became to find giant tortoises in the wild. The Galápagos giant tortoises are surely the most emblematic animal in the Galápagos, famous due to their extraordinary body proportions that easily reach over five hundred pounds! Their longevity has been always a puzzle for scientists and to the common people, reaching ages that go well over a quarter of a century.
Today our guests were amazed by the steady and healthy population of these gentle giants found in the wild, proving that with a little bit of effort and a well planned conservation strategy, even creatures as vulnerable as giant tortoises could be easily saved for future generations.
Academy Bay was the first thing we saw this morning as we opened the doors of the Polaris. Its vibrant town, which holds more than fifteen thousand souls nowadays, was chosen long ago to be the economic engine that motors the continuously growing tourism industry here developed.
Our morning was concentrated to explore the Charles Darwin Research Station (CDRS) and the town itself, providing us with an excellent combination of scientific/conservation information and the opportunity to investigate how people live in an area so isolated from the rest of the world.
After supporting the economy of the town, entire families travelling on board the Polaris seemed very happy as they strolled the rather small streets at downtown Puerto Ayora.
Our lunch took place in an isolated area up in the highlands. Tall tress and extremely lush vegetation surrounded us for the rest of the afternoon, as our goal became to find giant tortoises in the wild. The Galápagos giant tortoises are surely the most emblematic animal in the Galápagos, famous due to their extraordinary body proportions that easily reach over five hundred pounds! Their longevity has been always a puzzle for scientists and to the common people, reaching ages that go well over a quarter of a century.
Today our guests were amazed by the steady and healthy population of these gentle giants found in the wild, proving that with a little bit of effort and a well planned conservation strategy, even creatures as vulnerable as giant tortoises could be easily saved for future generations.
