SANTA CRUZ ISLAND
Santa Cruz is in the centre of the Galapagos archipelago and has the largest population. Puerto Ayora is the main town and there are two other smaller settlements of Bellavista and Santa Rosa.
The town is the largest in the archipelago with a population of around 6,000. The Galapagos National Park (GNP) and the Charles Darwin Research Station (CDRS) have their offices to the east of the town.
This is a must for tourists and a visit is on the itinerary of most of the organised tours in the Galapagos. Although it is a scientific Research Station it is nevertheless possible to be taken around a large part of it by a guide.
The usual method of arriving is by boat and this entails going through mangroves by panga to arrive at the dock where one can usually see large marine iguanas. At the Station there is a well laid out visitor centre, the Van Straalen Hall, which gives information on the islands, their geology, natural history and their conservation.
In addition there is a tortoise breeding centre, where giant tortoises are hatched and raised to an age when they can be returned to the islands and colonies from whence their subspecies came.
There are also pens in which adult tortoises are kept and here you can see 'Lonesome George'. This tortoise is the last of Pinta Island subspecies and so far attempts to mate him with another subspecies has failed. However, recent examination of his DNA and that of other subspecies has raised the possibility that a suitable mate may be found.
The Station is a good place to see many species of birds, particularly Darwin's finches, of which nine of the thirteen species can be found on the island.
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Here it is possible to go with a guide and see giant tortoises in the wild. A trip starts from the settlement of Santa Rosa, about 3 km to the north of the reserve. Many land birds can also be seen.
These are two large craters in the middle of the island, either side of the one road crossing the island. They are the remains of volcanic magma chambers which collapsed and the vertical sides are now covered with vegetation. Although many native plants have been overtaken by introduced species there are, nevertheless, many Scalesia trees. Vermillion flycatchers can be seen here, as well as the woodpecker finch and short eared owls.
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There are a number of other coastal sites around the island where turtles, pelicans, marine iguanas, herons and many other species can be seen.
On the island there are a large number of lava tubes, some of which are big enough to enter. Many of these are on farms and one tube can be walked through, coming out near a restaurant.
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