This is Santa Cruz Island, the second largest in the archipelago. This island has the largest human population and it is the economic capital of the Galapagos, as well as home to the Charles Darwin research station and the Galapagos National Park Service.
Today’s visit was an opportunity to understand the conservation programs carried out by the Galapagos National Park Service and the Charles Darwin Research Station. Their programs are many and also include captive breeding of giant tortoises and mangrove finches. These animals are born here as part of the restoration programs and eventually they are repatriated to their home island to spend the rest of their lives.
At the end of the morning activities we boarded buses to explore the cloud forest of Santa Cruz. Before lunch we visited a family run coffee and sugar cane plantation. It is well kept and clearly shows what life was like in the Galapagos when colonization and farming began.
Here in the forests and grasslands of the highlands, the highlight is the Galápagos giant tortoises. In the seventies there were less than 4000 of these large reptiles, but they have made a great come back since conservation work has started. We went for a walk in the forest and we had the opportunity to see many of these giants! Today we estimate a population of over five thousand individuals.
