Today we started our day in Academy Bay on the south end of Santa Cruz Island. After our breakfast we headed to the giant tortoise breeding center, which is one of the most successful conservation program on the whole planet. There we learned how the National Park rangers succeeded in the laborious mission of breeding tortoises in captivity, simulating the same conditions that they find in the wild. Also we got the chance to learn about two of the most famous tortoises in the world, Lonesome George (last individual from Pinta Island species that passed away in June of 2012) and Diego (most successful breeder from Espanola Island). The weather was not too warm, making the visit very enjoyable. Later on we continued our journey to the highlands of Santa Cruz. We stopped at a locally owned sugar mill where we learned how they process the sugar cane into several very tasty products such as raw sugar, sugar cane liquor and organic coffee. After this very informative stop we continued higher up into the highlands to the Narwhal restaurant for lunch, located in the lush farming area of the island.
In the afternoon we visited El Chato 2 Farm, which is great place to find tortoises. Giant tortoises are the largest reptiles that move in these vast green lands where the food supply is plentiful. This is the reason why this farm decided to leave a preserved area for these great herbivorous. Some of them may reach 180 years old, weighting up to 500 pounds. Males are the largest, females are smaller with some shiny carapaces and some are distinguishable from a distance. The day was overcast at that time, typical conditions of the Garua season (drizzling season). At the farm we found one of the most incredible lava tunnels on the Island. This geological formation was the result of not one, but several lava flows that created a two floor lava tunnel that is about 60 yards in length. It was an extraordinary experience to be able walk through it and learn more about the geology of the islands
At the end of the afternoon some of our guests decided to head back to the National Geographic Islander, meanwhile others spent more time in Puerto Ayora for a last call shopping. We had a great day on Santa Cruz Island.
