With the first light of the morning, the National Geographic Endeavor entered Academy bay and we were able to see Santa Cruz Island and its town, Puerto Ayora. A magnificent day awaited us on Santa Cruz Island. Many of our guests visited the Charles Darwin research Station to learn about the conservation and research projects in the Galapagos—the giant tortoise breeding program is the signature conservation project of the research center that aims to restore the dynasty of these species in several islands. Our guests were introduced to Diego, or “Super Diego” as we call him, a tortoise from Hood Island who was kept in San Diego Zoo for several decades. After returning to the Galapagos, he became part of one of these breeding programs, and he currently is the proud father of more than 1500 babies. We had the chance to explore the town of Puerto Ayora, browsing the interesting shops and art galleries located on the main street. The fishermen’s wharf was a highlight, since our guests were able to spot pelicans, sea gulls, frigatebirds and sea lions waiting for the catch of the day.
One of the options before lunch was the visit to a local school which is funded by Lindblad Expeditions and National Geographic, called Thomas de Berlanga, where we learned about how important it is to teach environmental education to young children who live in pristine places, like Galapagos. Mountain biking was a popular option as well, we started from a village in the highlands and biked all the way to a local organic farm. We tasted organic sugar honey, local cheese, organic coffee and a very special sugar cane spirit, all of which were produced and processed at this small farm.
We had lunch in a great location in the highlands, a restaurant known as Aquelarre. After lunch we drove to the giant tortoise reserve to have our first glimpse of the giant tortoises in the wild. It was lush and green everywhere, and even from a distance, we could see giant boulder-like creatures moving through the tall grass. These massive giant tortoises were slowly and steadily making their way to the fruit trees, hoping to get some of the recently fallen guavas. We kept a distance to avoid stressing them and immortalized the moment with incredible photographs. More tortoises were found near a fresh water pond bathing, drinking water and covering themselves with mud. What an incredible day on Santa Cruz island, a great combination Galapagos culture and wildlife.
