After our extended panga rides, we headed around the south end of Isabela and on to Puerto Ayora on the island of Santa Cruz.
After breakfast we headed to shore where we bused up into the highlands of Santa Cruz to El Chato tortoise reserve to photograph the famous Galapagos Giant Tortoise.
Probably the most well known inhabitant of the Galapagos, the giant tortoise is truly giant, weighing up to almost 900 pounds they have a lifespan in excess of 100 years! They’re also fairly easy to photograph because they move pretty slowly, and don’t get too excited.
Their main diet is grass and the fallen fruit from the guava trees. The whole place had a wonderful sweet smell from all the guava on the ground.
Even the birds feasted on the guava!
Of course it was the giant tortoise that gave the Galapagos Islands their name. Galapago, an old Spanish word for tortoise.
Just a few other interesting things to photograph while following the tortoises around in the drizzling rain.