We spent the day exploring the island of Santa Cruz. In the morning, we visited the Giant Tortoise Breeding Center in Puerto Ayora. Here, we observed ¨baby giants¨ and some saddleback tortoise adults, too. In the afternoon, we explored the highlands searching for tortoises in their natural habitat. We had a good time talking about these wonderful animals and learning some of the traditions that pioneering settlers inherited and passed along to the new generations of Galapagueños.
6/6/2025
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National Geographic Delfina
Santa Cruz Island
Today was our last full day of our expedition and we visited the central island of Santa Cruz. We started with a visit to the Giant Tortoise Breeding Center where we learned about the Charles Darwin Station’s work in conservation and the history of their activities in the Galápagos. Here, we learned about the famous Lonesome George and many other conservation projects. After a walk around town and a delicious lunch in a local restaurant, we headed to the highlands to visit the giant tortoises in the wild. We wore rubber boots and explored the forest. Afterwards, we visited a local farm to learn the ways of the people of the Galápagos. We tried delicious sugarcane juice and moonshine. Our last visit of the day was to the rainforest on the top of the island where two massive volcanic formations are found. We walked on the top of these craters and admired the beauty of the landscape from the viewpoints. We returned with the rays of sun. This has been an amazing expedition.
