Santa Cruz Island
Hiding behind the leaves there is a tortoise, a male tortoise with a name. He is George, lonesome George, known all around the world as “the last one of his kind”.
The kids are impressed to meet such a personality from Pinta Island. Our guests on board this family trip on Polaris, learned today that there is no other tortoise of the same subspecies (Geochelone elephantopus abingdonii). The youngest commented:
“He was big and nice and really did look like he was that lonesome. I believe he was also happy that the females did not like him.” - Elliot Mermel, 11 years old.
“It was really cool to get to meet George, and very interesting.” - Abby Stoddard, 15 years old.
“I liked him. He was so big.” - Sinan Aczacibasi, 10 years old.
“He was very slow and cute. He looked very young for his age.” - Brooke Loving, 7 years old.
Also parents and grandparents loved to see this famous tortoise that unfortunately, because so many of his kind were collected in the past by whalers, is in danger of extinction. One of the grandpas, Bennet Mermel, exclaimed: "He hasn’t changed since the very first time I saw him, 19 years ago.”
Indeed, George hasn’t changed, however the condition of tortoises in the Galapagos has improved. More than 2500 babies have been repatriated to their different islands, introduced animals are being eradicated, many people care about this enchanted archipelago, and therefore we can be optimistic about its future.
Hiding behind the leaves there is a tortoise, a male tortoise with a name. He is George, lonesome George, known all around the world as “the last one of his kind”.
The kids are impressed to meet such a personality from Pinta Island. Our guests on board this family trip on Polaris, learned today that there is no other tortoise of the same subspecies (Geochelone elephantopus abingdonii). The youngest commented:
“He was big and nice and really did look like he was that lonesome. I believe he was also happy that the females did not like him.” - Elliot Mermel, 11 years old.
“It was really cool to get to meet George, and very interesting.” - Abby Stoddard, 15 years old.
“I liked him. He was so big.” - Sinan Aczacibasi, 10 years old.
“He was very slow and cute. He looked very young for his age.” - Brooke Loving, 7 years old.
Also parents and grandparents loved to see this famous tortoise that unfortunately, because so many of his kind were collected in the past by whalers, is in danger of extinction. One of the grandpas, Bennet Mermel, exclaimed: "He hasn’t changed since the very first time I saw him, 19 years ago.”
Indeed, George hasn’t changed, however the condition of tortoises in the Galapagos has improved. More than 2500 babies have been repatriated to their different islands, introduced animals are being eradicated, many people care about this enchanted archipelago, and therefore we can be optimistic about its future.
