Santa Cruz
Tortoises, tortoises, tortoises. This was definitely a “tortoise day” but it was also simply a pleasant day. Beginning with the morning spent at the research station, today was filled with tranquility. The walk along the cinder trail to the tortoise pens was lined with varied plants: from mangroves to cactuses. Finches, warblers and flycatchers were flirting around our cameras as if they suspected we were interested in taking their pictures.
For our lunch we rode buses to the highlands to a secluded restaurant were the beauty of the vegetation surprised everyone. To see such lush plant-life after several days of strictly visiting the dry zone, was extremely pleasing. And after a delicious lunch we drove even further into the highlands to search for tortoises in the wild!
To find wild tortoises, we followed a short trail through dense vegetation, some of which is endemic, some native and some introduced species. Satisfying, yet again, our expectations, four tortoises waited for us to admire them. It was obvious that the tortoises do not mind where the vegetation originates; as long as there is plenty for them to eat, they are happy.
Tortoises, tortoises, tortoises. This was definitely a “tortoise day” but it was also simply a pleasant day. Beginning with the morning spent at the research station, today was filled with tranquility. The walk along the cinder trail to the tortoise pens was lined with varied plants: from mangroves to cactuses. Finches, warblers and flycatchers were flirting around our cameras as if they suspected we were interested in taking their pictures.
For our lunch we rode buses to the highlands to a secluded restaurant were the beauty of the vegetation surprised everyone. To see such lush plant-life after several days of strictly visiting the dry zone, was extremely pleasing. And after a delicious lunch we drove even further into the highlands to search for tortoises in the wild!
To find wild tortoises, we followed a short trail through dense vegetation, some of which is endemic, some native and some introduced species. Satisfying, yet again, our expectations, four tortoises waited for us to admire them. It was obvious that the tortoises do not mind where the vegetation originates; as long as there is plenty for them to eat, they are happy.
