Today we woke up anchored in Academy Bay in Santa Cruz Island. This is the second largest island in the Galapagos and home to more than half its inhabitants. Here is where the headquarters of the National Park and the Darwin Research Station are centered.
After breakfast we went ashore to visit the breeding center of the giant tortoises. As the islands were exploded by navigators to the border of extinction on some islands, the two institutions mentioned made a decision in the 60’s to help the species. In their facilities adult tortoises provide us with the eggs we incubate and nurture until we release them after a couple of years of development. In the morning we saw giant tortoises and baby tortoises the size of donuts. There is also a breeding center for iguanas because they almost suffered the same fate as the tortoises, although brought about by feral animals.
After a walk full of reptiles, the guests had time to explore the town and go shopping. The colors of the city and the Galapagenians revealed how humans interact with the famous wildlife found on these islands.
Later we took buses to visit a small farm that produces coffee, molasses, brown sugar and rum. We had the pleasure of enjoying lunch at a restaurant in the highlands with a great view.
To finish the day and to make the most of Santa Cruz, we went to a private ranch where they let us explore in order to see the giant tortoises cross their land as they migrate from dry to wet land.
It was another great day in the Galapagos as we near the end of this expedition.
