World ARC tour in Galapagos
by World Cruising Club 24 Feb 2019 00:57 PST
World ARC 2019-20 - Start Leg 3 © World Cruising
After the World ARC fleet been successfully checked-in in the Galapagos, participants are now enjoying their time in Puerto Baquerizo on the island of San Cristobal.
This morning the first World ARC tour started from the peer for a half day tour around the island. After 40min drive they first stopped at El Junco the biggest fresh water lagoon on the archipelago with a total volume of 360 000m3 equivalent of 9 million gallons of fresh water only coming from the rain, where the Fragatas come to wash off the salts from their feathers.
Participants had the opportunity to walk around the lagoon and admire one of the highest points on the island at 659 meters above sea level with the famous Kicker Rock in the background.
On their next stop, after 15min drive from the lagoon participants stop the David Rodriguez Breeding Center mainly dedicated on raising and caring tortoises before putting them back into their natural habitat.
During the tour participants learn mainly about the fact that there were two kind of populations of giant tortoises in San Cristobal, one located on the NE part of the island made of about 1500 tortoises which almost disappeared because due to the presence of introduced animals like wild goats, rats and cats and the other ones from the South of the island which also almost became extinct because of the over hunting by the whalers in the XIX century. It has been estimated that nearly 200 000 giant tortoises were killed during that time.
At the end of the morning there was the opportunity to go for a refreshing swim on the beautiful Loberia beach.
Boats will start soon to spread around some of the inhabited islands from the Galapagos and explore inland.