Day Six - Santa Cruz
Wednesday is changeover day on the Galapagos Vision. Only myself and the girl from Korea were staying on board, with the others completing their portion of the trip. We were then joined by a couple of women from Spain and a guy from Sweden. This left a bit more room on the boat, but I would miss hanging out with the Australians and Austrians.
Our morning activity was a visit to the Charles Darwin Research Station, which houses over 100 scientists and volunteers dedicated to the study and preservation of the Galapagos ecosystems. We learned about the threats and challenges facing many of the Galapagos species. A large portion of the facility serves as a re-entry program for the Galapagos tortoise. After being laid in the wild, the eggs are collected and brought to the center where they can hatch and grow through the vulnerable early years before being released back into the wild much more likely to survive. We saw a wide range of tortoises from newly hatched up to a couple years of age. We also saw Lonesome George, the last-surving member of the subspecies known as the Abingdon Island tortoise. He was found on Pinta island and brought to the center to try and breed with other closely-related subspecies. Unfortunately, this proved unsuccessful and shortly after leaving the Islands I learned of Lonsome George's death.
We were given some free time on the island for lunch and to replensih any supplies we may need. For me, this meant some delicious bloody mary's at il Giardino, with wi-fi and some cool mist on a very hot day.
That afternoon we traveled up to the highlands by bus where the giant tortoises can be found in the wild. It didn't take long to spot one and we found several in a matter of minutes. Weighing up to 900 pounds, the Galapgos Tortoise is the largest living species of tortoise and among the largest reptiles. They can live nearly 200 years and they vary in size, shape, and neck length from island to island, based on the environment and food supply. Only 10 of the original 15 subspecies survive in the wild today.
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(Click to Enlarge)The highlands also feature the remnants of some deep lava tubes and craters that we explored. Each were formed by hot magma carving away an underground passage to the ocean, leaving either a hollow tube or a crater when the lava empties and the ground crumbles downward. The tube we entered was about 20 feet high and went on for about a kilometer, with very smooth walls. The craters were roughly 400 yards across and quite deep.
(Click to Enlarge)
(Click to Enlarge)
(Click to Enlarge)The rest of the evening we had on our own in Puerto Ayora. I visted a few cafes before returning to the boat and calling it a night.
