The town of Puerto Ayora is where the Darwin Center is located. The Galapagos Islands inspired Charles Darwin’s The Origin of Species and the theory of evolution, which is why a lot of landmarks are named after him throughout the islands. The unique features and behaviors of the isolated wildlife (in particular the finches) inspired Darwin when he visited the islands in 1835. The Darwin Center was established for scientists from around the world to study and help re-populate the islands with the endangered tortoise and iguana species.
Throughout the 18th and 19th century, pirates and other voyageurs that came across the islands, massacred the tortoise population for meat and oil. In 1976, the Darwin Center was created to help the tortoise and Iguana population from extinction. Scientists breed the tortoises at the center, and then transport them to the various islands where they were originally from to re-populate the island. On another one of our boat tours, we got to see this in action.
We took a boat to Floreana, where we took a bus up a small mountain to see some tortoises feed on huge leafy greens. These tortoises were raised at the Darwin Center and now live peacefully and in large numbers on the island. A couple of local farmers make sure they get enough food and water on a daily basis. Although they managed to pause for a moment when we arrived, they generally are completely unafraid of humans.
On the way back down the mountain, the guide showed us an actual pirate cave, which served as a hang-out and look-out for the pirates of the 1800s. It had a very authentic feel to it and you could easily picture 18th and 19th century pirates hiding there. Beside the cave the pirates have carved a 6 foot giant head into the rock. The guide didn’t even mention this cave until we got there, so it was a nice surprise.
After the hike, we were fed lunch by a family on the island of chicken and rice and watermelon. There is only a permanent population of about 75 on Floreana and their generosity was so abundant. After lunch, they took us back onto the boat for some snorkeling. On our way to a private inlet we passed a famous dive site called ”devils crown”. It is a shallow sunken crater filled with sharks and hammerheads. An adventure for someone else... we eventually ended in a bay with a lot of baby sea lions that were more than happy to tag along while we swam with more tropical fish. We circled the island and saw some of the local birds, iguanas, and sea lions bask in the sun and then headed back to Isla Santa Cruz.
One afternoon, we went down to the Darwin Center, which was free and they allow visitors into the tortoise areas to see them up close. These tortoises were HUGE, with full grown males weighing up to 600 – 700 pounds. The most famous one on the island goes by the title of "Lonesome George". This specific tortoise is allegedly the last of his particular species. In hopes to save him from extinction, they put him in his own area with 2 females that are very similar to his species, based on their shell structure. Unfortunately this slight difference in species has not allowed for him to reproduce and it was sad to see the last of a dying species, but at least he gets to go out mating with 2 lady tortoises.
The next morning we packed out bags and headed for the airport. It was the conclusion of our trip to South America! It was a trip like no other trip we’ve ever been on. From the different cultures, to the diverse landscapes, to the unique wildlife, we got to see everything you can imagine and more. Thanks for reading! Until our next adventure comes along...
