The Grand Majestic -Santa Cruz - Galapagos –25 April 2024.

We woke up in Santa Cruz harbour which still had the familiar wave swell. Breakfast was at 7.00am and by 8.30am we were in the dinghies going ashore. We were then picked up by bus and were taken to Las Gemelos (twin craters).

These craters were up in what they call the highlands and once off the bus we walked through a little forest with trees with ferns and lichens growing on them and it was damp and a little drizzly. We walked through this and Louis showed us a blackberry plant which had been imported and brought to the Galapagos and which is regarded as a pest and they are trying to eradicate it. Other problems are rats and snails which eat turtle and tortoise eggs and they used to have goats, but these have now all been killed. This is an example of what they need to do to protect and maintain the environment and wildlife which depend on it. The threat is from things brought into the Galapagos which threatens the endemic species.

We walked on and came across the first crater – which was quite large and deep and not quite as big as the freshwater pond in San Cristobal. They think this and the other crater are sink holes formed as a result of volcanic activity. We carried on walking through the forest which was low -maximum 25 feet and it reminded me of the forest on top of La Gomera, the canary island which we had seen in September 2023. Louis pointed out some of the Darwin finches which were tweeting and flying about. The other crater was the other side of the road and was similar in size and appearance.

We then went on the bus to see the Giant Tortoises in the wild, which was an area not far away. Although it was a farm we went to, the tortoises are free to come and go and they provide on the farm a good environment for visiting tortoises with the natural vegetation and muddy pools etc.  We walked from the farm and we soon saw quite a few Giant Tortoises. These were not the saddleback type but the dome type. There were  a number of big males some probably 120 years old and weighing about 700lbs. You can tell a male as for a start it is a lot bigger, has well defined type rings on its shell – which grows over the years – a bit like the rings on a tree. It also has an indentation under the shell to enable the male to mount the female who has a more smoother flatter shell.

There were a number in muddy ponds lying there a bit like hippos. The water helps them to cool off and also helps to get rid of parasites. We came across one male who was not worried by us and enabled us to get quite close and take pictures and who was eating the guava fruit on the ground. Apparently tortoises can go without food and water for up to a year. This was why so many were taken in the past on to ships as the tortoise meat would stay fresh for a long time and which has resulted in some species on certain islands being extinct. We wondered around and saw many different tortoises on the farm. We were then led to a staircase and slope going down to what was an old lava tunnel – some of which we had seen in Lanzarote.  This was a relatively low and short tunnel, but it was interesting to see.

We were given lunch at the farm and then we returned to Puerto Ayora to go to the Charles Darwin Centre. Although we had been there before it was not a waste of time as Louis guided us this time and took us to the tortoise centre the other way round. We saw the baby tortoises which they raise from incubated eggs and then they help them grow until about 5-6 years in age when they are released into the wild. Once released the success rate is quite high. We then saw some more giant tortoises but this time we also saw some saddleback giant tortoises with a curve like a saddle at the front of the shell. This is to enable the long neck which can reach higher foliage and Lonesome George who died 12 years ago was apparently the last survivor from Pinta Island and he was a saddleback.  You may remember him from the David Attenborough series and Lonesome George’s death was featured on the news.

We continued around the tour and came to a small building which you entered and had to remain in a high air-conditioned corridor for two minutes before we entered a small room. There in the centre was Lonesome George- as left by a taxidermist. When Lonesome George died he was sent to the USA where he was preserved and conditioned. He then went into the National History Museum in New York but has now been returned to the Galapagos looking very life like although he is obviously dead.   

We then went to the Charles Darwin Centre which we had seen before and we walked back into town shopping, having a drink and we then bumped into Charles Robinson who is joining Stormbird for the Marquesas leg on 1 May 2024. He is having a holiday with his wife Fiona here before he joins. Charles and Fiona are on a boat called Theory.

We returned to Gran Majestic for a drink and a snack and then we got ready for dinner. Mark and Corinne went in the jacuzzi. It had been a good day and after dinner we move on to Santiago and Bartholemew Islands.  

Opportunity for any Readers/Sailors.

In late May 2024 we shall be in the Marquesas in French Polynesia, and we will then move through to the Tuamotu’s before getting to Tahiti about the end of July 2024. There may be some space on Stormbird during this period should any sailor/reader be interested in joining for this period or part of it in what must be one of the most distant and beautiful places in the world.

In addition, in year two I will be going up the Eastern Australian Coast, Indonesia and probably across the Indian Ocean to Cape Town and I will need some more crew.

If there is any interest do email me at  hine.nick9@gmail.com  

The blog will continue as we head off to the Galapagos and beyond.

If you have any comments or suggestions about the blog do email me on hine.nick9@gmail.com  I can only upload one picture a day and visit our website www.stormbirdgoesglobal.co.uk