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GALAPAGOS
Hosteria San Carlos
QUITO - ECUADOR
Basilica del Voto National
Basilica del Voto National
Hasta La Vuelta Senor Restaurant
La Rhonda
Otavalo Market
COTACATCHI – LEATHER TOWN
COTOPAXI VOLCANO
GALAPAGOS ISLANDS
Islands Explored
• San Cristobal – 2 days• Floreana - 1• Isabela - 2• Santa Cruz 2
San Cristobal Island
Adventure to Kicker Rock
2 ½ hour boat ride from San Cristobal to
Floreana
FLOREANA
Floreana Island
Isabela Island
Sierra Negra Volcano
Wall of Tears 1946-59
Santa Cruz
TORTOISE BREEDING PROGRAM
Only 11 of the 14 original populations remained and most of these were endangered if not already on the brink of extinction. The rearing program for giant tortoises began in response to the conditions of the tortoise population on Pinzón Island, where fewer than 200 old adults were found. All of the hatchlings had apparently been killed by introduced rats for perhaps more than a century. Without help, this population would eventually disappear. The only thing saving it was the longevity of the tortoise. The rearing program began in 1965, with the first transfer of tortoise eggs from Pinzón to the new tortoise center on Santa Cruz. In 1970, the first 20 tortoises were repatriated to Pinzón when they had reached an age and a size (about 4-5 years) at which they were considered “rat proof.”The situation on Española Island was even worse. Only 14 tortoises remained (2 males and 12 females). These were all brought into captivity and the breeding program was initiated. A third Española male was returned to Galapagos in 1976 from the San Diego Zoo. An improvement in nesting areas and incubation and rearing techniques over the years has made this one of the most successful programs of the GNPS and the CDF. .
Tortuga Bay - Kayaking
Consistent environmental differences in different habitats on different islands in the Galapagos, as well as the availability of different foods sources, have produced more than a dozen distinct species of finches, all unique to the archipelago
CHARLES DARWIN RESEARCH STATION
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