April 22, 2023
Day three took us to Santa Cruz, which our guide referred to as the “t-shirt capital of the Galápagos.” After several days surrounded almost entirely by wildlife and volcanic landscapes, it felt noticeably more populated and developed.
But we had a mission here which started with a drive into the highlands passed through a beautiful tree-covered road leading toward El Chato Ranch and the giant tortoise reserve. This was my first time seeing giant tortoises fully roaming in the wild rather than in a controlled environment, and they were everywhere.
The area was filled with invasive guavas and blackberries, which the tortoises eat before spreading the seeds through their droppings, making the plants incredibly difficult to control.
Tortoises seemed completely unbothered by our presence. Some grazed, some crossed the trails, and several appeared far more interested in each other than the tourists. Our guide compared one mating pair to a “double decker bus,” which immediately became one of the running jokes of the day. At another point during a mating chase, she casually explained that the female “probably had a headache.”
We also walked through lava tubes, which were much larger than I expected. Standing inside them made it easier to appreciate the scale of the volcanic activity that created the islands.
After we left El Chato, we visited the Darwin Research Center where we saw baby tortoises and learned more about the conservation efforts throughout the islands. Tortoises are raised there before eventually being released into the wild around the age of five.
We also saw Lonesome George, the last known Pinta tortoise, along with exhibits explaining the preservation efforts tied to the species.
Back near town, Santa Cruz felt noticeably more touristy than the other islands, with shops, restaurants, and people everywhere. Iguanas stretched out on the sidewalks while black tipped sharks cruised through the water nearby.
On the panga ride back to the catamaran from Santa Cruz, rough seas made it difficult to transfer from the panga back to the catamaran. The rough seas continued that evening and made it difficult to sleep with the rocking of the boat and the cabinets and drawers opening and closing in the rhythm of the rocking boat.
