We left for the Galapagos early in the morning. The 6:00 flight made a stop at Guayaquil to pick up passengers on the way to the Galapagos. We were handed an important document called the Transit Control Card for entering the islands. We needed to keep the card safely to turn it in before leaving the islands. The Galapagos are governed by INGALA, an Ecuadorian agency. The agency has strict laws in place to protect the diverse ocean life of the archipelago.
There are about 13 major islands in the Galapagos but only four inhabited islands. Our hotel is in the town of Puerto Ayora, the archipelago’s tourism hub on Santa Cruz island. It is the second largest island. It takes almost an hour bus ride from the airport to the hotel in southern part of the island, including a short ferry ride from the dock at Baltra to the bus stop. Our first encounter of wildlife was a huge sea lion leisurely basking in the sun at the ferry dock. We were told not to be closer than 6 feet to any animal on the island.
Santa Cruz is famous for viewing wild tortoises, roaming through pastures in the agricultural zones and in the Tortoise Reserve. Not too long after our ride started, we saw a few tortoises along both sides of the roads. We stopped for lunch at a Tortoise Reserve where the famous giant tortoises live wild and free. There is plenty of green grass for these "short neck" tortoises which live on the grassy low land. We also visited Charles Darwin Research Station which has a breeding program for endangered giant tortoises. "Long neck" tortoises were spotted around this area as they feed on the taller plants and shrubs.
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| Galapagos, here we come! |
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| Arriving at Baltra |
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| Welcoming sign at the pier |
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| Our first Galapagos animal. |
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| Lots of tortoises cooling in the mud |
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| First up-close encounter with this giant tortoise |
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| Lunch at the Reserve |
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| Exhibit at the Reserve |
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| One of many giant tortoise at the reserve. |
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| The rain had just stopped after lunch. We are glad to have the boots from the reserve to trek thru the mud with the tortoises. |
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| We keep the distance. |
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| One of Darwin's finches |
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| Iguana making nest |
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Vegetation in the research station
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"Long neck" tortoise in the research station The research center is about 6 blocks from our hotel at Peurto Ayora where we sent 3 nights while visiting the Galapagos. |
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| A landmark at Puerto Ayora park |
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A small church at Puerto Ayora park  |
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| Puerto Aroya |
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| Puerto Ayora beach, around the corner from our hotel |
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| Red crabs on the rocks at Puerto Ayora |
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| Yellow warbler |
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| Puerto Ayora at sunset |
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| The sinkholes were created when the volcanic roof collapsed and erosion over time. |
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| This sink hole is on the other side of the road |
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| Beautiful scenery with lush green of the surrounding. |
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| The fern is taller than me. |
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| The rainbow sunray appeared from one corner of the sinkhole |
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