Santa Cruz
Wednesday, 20 June 2001
Today was tortoise day. We spent the day on an inhabited island, learning about the efforts of the Charles Darwin Research Station and Galapagos National Park to save and protect the natural history of Galapagos. We got to see Lonesome George, the last of his sub-species, some rescued tortoises, and the breeding program. After a walk and some shopping, we boarded our buses to the highlands for a lovely lunch and siesta, and then a trip to the "jungle" to look for tortoises in the wild. We saw a few - with a little help and a machete - and we also saw frigate birds bathing in the lagoon. We then visited a lava tunnel, and managed a little "bus birding" with the sighting of the vermillion flycatcher and dark-billed cuckoo from the moving vehicle. After dinner we enjoyed some local color with music and dancing from a Galapagos group.