Galapagos Islands. Santa Cruz

The Galapagos islands are an archipelago on the equator 1,000 miles West of Equador.

The wildlife is unique and it was the place where Charles Darwin hypothised the theory of evolution of the species.

Flying into Baltra , Santa Cruz Island.

We boarded our vessel

M.V. Galapagos Explorer II

We went ashore on Pandas.On stepping off we saw our first Marine Iguana.

We visited the Charles Darwin Research Station

So we get to see Lonesome George, the 100 year old rare tortoise..

The following was from the Guardian newspaper a couple of years ago

Ecuadorian officials are keeping their fingers crossed for Lonesome George, aged between 90 and 100 and described by the Guinness book of world records as the "rarest living creature", after one of the two female tortoises kept with him laid five eggs.

George, said to be at his sexual peak, is the only known living Geochelone abigdoni tortoise. His companions are of a similar but different species. Scientists at the Galápagos national park have been trying for years to get George to avail himself of his female companions to ensure that his line does not peter out.

Lonesome George, weighing 90kg (14st 2lb) was a native of Pinta, an isolated northern island of the Galápagos. By the late 1960s, it was noted that the tortoise population on the rarely visited island had dwindled close to extinction. George, discovered in 1972, was immediately brought into captivity at the Charles Darwin research station on the island of Santa Cruz .

Scientists have been trying to get George to mate since 1993, when they introduced two female tortoises of a different subspecies from the neighbouring island of Isabela into his pen, but he has been in no hurry to procreate.

Good luck George!

Here's some other news - Di travelled in these to the shore from the ship