Day of GIANT tortoises



Jane in Puerto Ayura

Monday May 27th

This was a day for giant tortoises.

 

After anchoring the night before in Puerto Ayora, we were ferried ashore next morning in our panga.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We drove part of the way back up the highway (my seventh trip!)to Manzanillo Ranch, named after the poisonous apple trees that grow there; they are eaten by the tortoises as a chemical control for their internal parasites.

 

Our tour group finds its first tortoise near a mud wallow

 

(Guide Diego and Drew ignoring the immobile rock on the path)

 

 

 

 

We hiked around the ranch, finding more than six wild Santa Cruz tortoises of various sizes, and could see their mud wallows in wetter times. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Some of the tortoises were lurking near wild passion-fruit vines; along with guavas, one of their favourite foods (we ate some too).  

 

 

 

 

 

Santa Cruz Darwin finch with yellow bill

 

Dull brown Darwin finches and grey mocking birds were also in the forest.



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On the way back to the highway we stopped to look at some lava tubes, created when the hot lava kept flowing under a hardened crust.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Two lovely barn owls had taken up residence in one of them.

 

 

 

 Near the entrance we saw a Scalesia tree - it is the tree that dominates the vegetation in the higher parts of many islands.  It is not a true tree, but a giant member of the daisy family (Asteraceae).