Santa Cruz Island, 3/5/2024, National Geographic Endeavour II
Aboard the
National Geographic Endeavour II
Galápagos
Santa Cruz Island is the second largest inhabited island in the Galapagos Archipelago. Our day was filled with excitement as we visited the Breeding Center for Galapagos Giant Tortoises and observed the local farming practices, gaining insight into the island's culture.
In the afternoon we had the pleasure of searching for wild Galapagos giant tortoises under the beautiful, sunny, and warm weather.
Gilda was born in Ambato, located in the very heart of the Ecuadorian Andes. Since she was a child, she loved animals, often rescuing street cats and dogs. Her parents always made sure there were nature books and plenty of Jacques Cousteau’s videos a...
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Today we spent a lot of our day by the sea. In the morning we went for Zodiac rides along the shore, followed by an inland walk where we experienced the humid season. Afterward, we enjoyed a refreshing snorkeling excursion, exploring and looking for marine life. Our day ended with a wine tasting experience on the sky deck during sunset where we admired dolphins passing by National Geographic Endeavour II .
We arrived at Academy Bay on the southern side of Santa Cruz. We observed Puerto Ayora shining with the first sunrays of the morning. Santa Cruz, in its majesty, was surrounded by clouds that promised to refresh the sky with a sweet and warm rain. It is a blessing for the forest and for our souls to be part of the tropical experience. Our day started with amazing sightseeing of the iconic reptiles of the Galapagos, the giant tortoises. The first tortoises we saw were in captivity, raised to reproduce and to replenish the population in the wild. The baby tortoises were so agile, walking hurriedly and happily in their safe surroundings. Up in the mountains, adult tortoises were living their best lives, watching visitors with the inquisitive patience that characterizes them. Thanks to the tortoises, we have the volcanoes we know now, islands with tropical forests teeming with life. The air was fresh, and we walked in the tropical rain, making our way back to National Geographic Endeavour II. We were so happy.
Today we had an optional early wet landing at Cormorant Point’s visitor site, searching for flamingoes and turtles. We also had a fun opportunity to see a few sea lions, Sally Lightfoot crabs and many birds. Back on board for breakfast, we repositioned to our snorkeling site. Today’s underwater wildlife was surreal. Sea lions, fish of all kinds and colors, turtles, sharks, rays, scorpion fish, lobster, eels, and more were encountered. We are currently experiencing the changing seasons and the wildlife is mating, for warmer water will incubate the eggs. We boarded National Geographic Endeavour II for a delicious Mexican lunch as we repositioned again for our visit to the world-famous Post-Office Bay. Before we disembarked, we enjoyed the Darwin presentation given by Naturalist Celso Montalvo. Today we exchanged post cards left from previous visitors to have them hand-delivered, just like the ones our guests are leaving behind. Some of us further explored the bay, opting for kayaking, snorkeling, or enjoying a pleasant walk along the beach. We ended the day with our recap and briefing about our next destination. We are now deeply united with this magical feeling of love, coexistence, and respect for one another as the result of exploring this special place, the Galapagos Islands.
