Saturday 7th Tortoises and other creatures

Today we woke up anchored in the bay off Puerto Ayora. Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz Island is the largest town in the Galapagos Islands. It is the M.V Santa Cruz II’s home port. It is also, and more relevant to today’s excursions, home to the Charles Darwin Research Station. This was our first port of call on Santa Cruz.

After landing and negotiating the Sealions and Marine Iguanas littering the wharf (National Park really should have a word with them) we took a gentle walk along to the entrance to the research station.

We saw a lot of birds on the way there. None of which I could identify.

The Charles Darwin Foundation, which the research centre is part of is dedicated to the conservation of the environment of the Galapagos Islands.

” As one of the most renowned planetary treasures, the Galapagos Islands have played an unrivalled role in the history of science. For more than 60 years, the research undertaken at the Charles Darwin Foundation has focused on furthering our understanding of the natural systems, their relationship with those living in the archipelago, and the intricate and delicate balance between climate, mankind, and nature.

Major research efforts have also focused on the prevention, control, and eradication of invasive species to maintain Galapagos as one of the best-conserved archipelagos in the world.”

The most visible research and conservation programme at the centre is concerned with the preservation of, probably, the Galapagos’ most notable animal, The Giant Tortoise.

The Giant Tortoise (Chelonoidis niger), which has or had several subspecies. Some of the subspecies are now extinct, others are critically endangered. In the 18th and 19th centuries the tortoises were hunted for food and oil. Because a tortoise can live for a long time without either food or water, the were seen as a source of fresh meat, by the crews of passing ships. The Floreana Giant Tortoise became extinct in exactly this manner. Other sub-species were badly depleted by this practice. Introduced animals, mainly but not limited to rats, cats and dogs also wreaked havoc on the tortoise population.

This link takes you to a list of all the sub-species of Galapagos Tortoises, showing their current conservation status.

We were shown round the various breeding enclosures where tortoises are reared before the are returned to the wild.

As you can see, giant tortoises are not always giants at least to start with.

Eggs are harvested and the incubated in temperature controlled conditions. This is necessary as the incubation temperature influences the sex of the hatchling. Warmer temperatures produce more females and cooler temperatures more males. With global warming more females than males were being born.

After having looked round the enclosures we went to meet “Lonesome George”. His stuffed remains to me more exact.

Lonesome George (Spanish: Solitario George or Jorge, c. 1910 June 24, 2012) was a male Pinta Island tortoise (Chelonoidis niger abingdonii) and the last known individual of the subspecies. In his last years, he was known as the rarest creature in the world. George serves as an important symbol for conservation efforts in the Galápagos Islands and throughout the world.

After having had a look around the museum attached to the centre, it was time to go and meet the Giant Tortoises in the wild.

But first we had to get there. We had two options, be lazy and get the coach, or cycle there. Diane, because of her knee took the coach. I decided to cycle. This was possibly a mistake, because it started to rain as soon as we got on the bikes.

Also the bike was probably the worst bike I had ridden in years. It also did not have electric assist. I have probably become too used to my e-bike over the past few years.

We visited a sugar cane plantation for lunch. Before lunch they showed us their production process, or to be more exact, the way they used to produce sugar.

They also produce a type of rum, my feeling is that the process is slightly more sophisticated than that shown above. The end product is still a bit rough though. I bought a bottle for my friend Toby.

After seeing and sampling their various products, as well as sugar and alcohol, they also grow coffee and cocoa, we had a rather good lunch.

The sugar cane plantation is on one of the migration routes of the Giant Tortoises. So after lunch we got to see them in the wild. Actually, we had seen quite a few on the way into the plantation. If they are on the road they have right of way.

It is quite surprising exactly how large they are. The biggest of them are around a metre, maybe a bit more, in length. They like to bask in ponds in order to cool off.

After our tortoise encounter we went back to Puerto Ayora to catch the Panga back to the ship. We stayed behind for an hour or so, to do some souvenir shopping and have a beer, which came with fresh plantain chips on the side.

As we sat on the pier waiting for the Panga we were fascinated by the marine life that we saw. There were Sealions and Marine Iguanas of course. In the water there were sharks, rays and turtles. On the rocks there were herons and crabs.

After that it was back to the ship for a briefing on the next days activities, then dinner and bed.