July 5
Santa Cruz
We are staying in Puerto Ayora, at the southern tip of Santa Cruz Island. With a population of approximately 12,000, it is the largest town in the Galapagos. Today was our independent touring day. We let the kids sleep in till 7:40 (as every other day has been before 6).
We walked to the Charles Darwin Station, which was an indoor and outdoor display of the conservation efforts of the Charles Darwin Foundation. It was absolutely fascinating. There was so much about Darwin’s research that we did not know. He was clearly a brilliant thinker who developed theories on the development of atolls based on his observations of islands and reefs, on evolution based on observations of hummingbirds (and the more popularly discussed finches), and on volcanoes.
We enjoyed information about success in protecting the tortoises, the finches, and the iguanas endemic to these islands. We saw logged scrap books of actual plant samples taken by areas scientists. We were followed by an enthusiastic videographer during part of our stay to document our experience and consumption of the displays. We also slowly embraced the information and skeletal samples in the temperature controlled (thus air conditioned) sample room.
So long ago, a few of each species ventured from the mainland and settled in the Galapagos. Without competition, they thrived and evolved to suit their surroundings. Usually based on their particular island food source, those with particular adaptations ate better and thus bred better. We were able to spend time just observing saddleback tortoises move quickly around, and then we saw a large group of tortoises slowly chasing each other and climbing on top of each other. Perhaps they were mating, although it was unclear if these may have been some same sex pairings. Plus they often mounted on the side or at the front.
We had our empanada snack at the local beach. Even with some rain, the boys enjoyed snorkelling and exploring the area. Walking home in the rain, the temperature of the rain was so warm it was almost imperceptible. The droplets did not make it as far as skin.
We dined on leftovers (including some of Teva’s chocolate cake), walked to one end of downtown to pick up new wetsuits, then walked across the downtown and then along the 2.5 km path to beautiful white sand beach of the island at Tortuga Bay. After trekking past large waves and undertow, we made it suddenly from open ocean to a protected cove of calm ocean water. We swam and cooled off, explored the local marine iguana population (mostly lying in the sand looking dead), and then snorkelled in a partially protected area with an igneous rock outcropping. Suddenly we were swimming with two large sea turtles and a few small sharks. Breathtaking.
We survived the swim and the surf and the hour long hike back to our apartment, cleaned up, ate dinner and more ice cream or sherbet (tamarind!) and collapsed into bed again.
Tomorrow North Seymour Island.