Santa Cruz Island
Gorgeous day, flat seas, smiling faces, tortoises by the dozens, colourful fish, fulfilled hearts, and I could go on and on. That was Santa Cruz Island today, Puerto Ayora and the highlands, an unforgettable experience not only for our guests, but for everybody on board and for 27 kids from Oswaldo Guayasamin Public School.
As part of our “Kids On Board” program, we invited children of the seventh grade to explore Camano Islet with the National Geographic Polaris glass bottom boat. Afterwards they came on board for a Power Point Presentation about the natural history of the Islands. Our Captain Juan Robalino and first officer John Zurita showed them the bridge while Sofia Plonski had her staff ready, with head waiter Juanito Villafuerte to serve pizzas and ice cream. Our charmed little guests had their eyes wide open as events and goodies showed up. This school has a program for special children as well, and within the 27 kids we had six special kids who actively participated. A little girl stood up to thank Lindblad Expeditions and everybody on board for this amazing opportunity of visiting a ship for the first time in her life, for seeing fish and sea lions under the glass, in real life. They all promised to use the first page of their present, a National Geographic journal, to make a painting of this experience and send it for a contest. We are looking forward to seeing these drawings, to view through them their youthful hearts and minds.
In the mean time guests were meeting Lonesome George and famous Diego tortoise. This week we made it to the sighting record of 55 giant tortoises in the wild, in an area of amazingly beautiful greenery, lava tube included.
Santa Cruz was a gratifying experience for everybody today, for visitors who have come from all over, and for little residents of this isolated paradise on Earth, future decision makers of the Galápagos.
Gorgeous day, flat seas, smiling faces, tortoises by the dozens, colourful fish, fulfilled hearts, and I could go on and on. That was Santa Cruz Island today, Puerto Ayora and the highlands, an unforgettable experience not only for our guests, but for everybody on board and for 27 kids from Oswaldo Guayasamin Public School.
As part of our “Kids On Board” program, we invited children of the seventh grade to explore Camano Islet with the National Geographic Polaris glass bottom boat. Afterwards they came on board for a Power Point Presentation about the natural history of the Islands. Our Captain Juan Robalino and first officer John Zurita showed them the bridge while Sofia Plonski had her staff ready, with head waiter Juanito Villafuerte to serve pizzas and ice cream. Our charmed little guests had their eyes wide open as events and goodies showed up. This school has a program for special children as well, and within the 27 kids we had six special kids who actively participated. A little girl stood up to thank Lindblad Expeditions and everybody on board for this amazing opportunity of visiting a ship for the first time in her life, for seeing fish and sea lions under the glass, in real life. They all promised to use the first page of their present, a National Geographic journal, to make a painting of this experience and send it for a contest. We are looking forward to seeing these drawings, to view through them their youthful hearts and minds.
In the mean time guests were meeting Lonesome George and famous Diego tortoise. This week we made it to the sighting record of 55 giant tortoises in the wild, in an area of amazingly beautiful greenery, lava tube included.
Santa Cruz was a gratifying experience for everybody today, for visitors who have come from all over, and for little residents of this isolated paradise on Earth, future decision makers of the Galápagos.
