Santa Cruz Island
Returning to the Galápagos, and in particular to my home town of Puerto Ayora, after an absence of even just a few weeks makes me appreciate my birth place. I attended elementary and high school here and the experiences I had as a child formed my view of the world. Every time that I visit the Charles Darwin Research Station, I am reminded how lucky I was. During the years I was in school we had the scientists come to our classrooms to teach us about these incredible islands. Here we learned that humans and animals could continue to co-exist as they have done in the past.
For our guests who are visiting Puerto Ayora for the first time, having the chance to see giant tortoises in both captivity and in the wild, is one of the main attractions. In particular, the chance to photograph the tortoises close up was rewarding (see today’s photo). The highlands of Santa Cruz have an incredible number of plants species too. There are numerous species of bromeliads, scalesias, ferns, and orchids and I am grateful that I had the opportunity to study these plants. Furthermore, it is a pleasure for me to share my knowledge with our guests. Among all these plants and tortoises there is something that I love even more: bird watching. Today’s visit allowed our visitors to spot my favorite land bird, the vermillion flycatcher. Its bright contrasting red and black plumage against the green background of the endemic Scalesia forest is spectacular. This beautiful little bird was given endemic status just a year and half ago. Exploring the island of Santa Cruz it is still an adventure for me, and today’s outing was thoroughly enjoyed by all of our travelers.
Returning to the Galápagos, and in particular to my home town of Puerto Ayora, after an absence of even just a few weeks makes me appreciate my birth place. I attended elementary and high school here and the experiences I had as a child formed my view of the world. Every time that I visit the Charles Darwin Research Station, I am reminded how lucky I was. During the years I was in school we had the scientists come to our classrooms to teach us about these incredible islands. Here we learned that humans and animals could continue to co-exist as they have done in the past.
For our guests who are visiting Puerto Ayora for the first time, having the chance to see giant tortoises in both captivity and in the wild, is one of the main attractions. In particular, the chance to photograph the tortoises close up was rewarding (see today’s photo). The highlands of Santa Cruz have an incredible number of plants species too. There are numerous species of bromeliads, scalesias, ferns, and orchids and I am grateful that I had the opportunity to study these plants. Furthermore, it is a pleasure for me to share my knowledge with our guests. Among all these plants and tortoises there is something that I love even more: bird watching. Today’s visit allowed our visitors to spot my favorite land bird, the vermillion flycatcher. Its bright contrasting red and black plumage against the green background of the endemic Scalesia forest is spectacular. This beautiful little bird was given endemic status just a year and half ago. Exploring the island of Santa Cruz it is still an adventure for me, and today’s outing was thoroughly enjoyed by all of our travelers.
