Sunday 5 October, 2014

Today was Galapagas tortoise day! We cruised to Santa Cruz and bussed it up to the highlands. Very overcast drizzly weather and by the time we got to the highlands it was a very heavy drizzle. It was so hard to take photos, sloshing through the mud in our ponchos and rain boots and trying to keep the lense of the camera free from rain drops! We saw so many tortoises! They live to be 150-200 years old and weigh 250-300 kg. they must not like the wet weather as none of them would move for us. We even had to drive around one on the road to the farm! 

Of course today is the day I chose to wear white pants....so my white pants are now very mud splattered!,!! Finished the morning with a lovely hot tea, just what we needed. 

Back to the ship for lunch, but there is always a snack as we come off the Zodiacs...today was white chocolate and milk chocolate fountains with cut up fruit! Nice treat!

After lunch we cruised to the other side of the island where we visited the Charles Darwin breeding centre for Galápagos Tortoises. The centre works to provide environmental education to communities and schools within the islands and to preserve the fragile environment of the Galapagas islands.

They had baby tortoises and very old ones. They bring tortoises here that have been living in domestic situations. They will never be released, but those from the breeding program will be.

On the way back to the ship we were rewarded with a sighting of a heron! Then we saw some petrels skimming on the water. It is just amazing all the creatures that we have seen on this whole trip!

Tonight is our last night on board and we cruised during dinner in very, very rough seas. Don't know how the waiters managed not to spill anything!