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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We had the opportunity to visit two wonderful islands today. Our exploration of Bartolome in the morning was spectacular. Its volcanic landscapes, crystalline waters in many shades of blue, golden beaches, and black rocky coast make it a very picturesque place with which to fall in love. For our afternoon activities, we anchored by Chinese Hat. Penguins were the main attraction of our Zodiac ride, but sharks made our snorkeling session a remarkable experience to remember.
Today we explored the northern side of Santa Cruz Island, starting our morning with a beautiful hike at Dragon Hill with its impressive population of land iguanas. These fascinating creatures can be spotted basking in the sun or foraging for food among the rocky terrain. After a successful morning, we enjoyed our Galapagos lunch made 100% with products from the highlands of Santa Cruz. Subsequently we had a short navigation and arrived at Borrero Bay where we kayaked, paddle boarded, and went on a Zodiac exploration. This area is one of the most important nurseries for whitetip, blacktip, and hammerhead sharks. We ended another beautiful day in the archipelago with a wine tasting up on the observation deck while circumnavigating Daphne Major, watching a spectacular sunset.
Our day on Santa Cruz Island was an exciting one; from learning about conservation at the Giant Tortoise Breeding Center, to communing in nature with these amazing reptiles in the wild. We had the opportunity to learn about how the locals live and their contribution to the economy of the islands. We had a special time when we visited one of the local farms on the island. Here we experienced the bonding between humans and nature, and how they complement each other in such a special place like Galapagos.