The Darwin Center and Santa Cruz Island, Galapagos

The Galapagos Islands were named for the famed tortoises since that word in Spanish is 'galapago;' these tortoises can live 175+ years and weigh 900+ lbs; differences among the species on the different islands contributed to Darwin's theory of evolution

Juvenile lava heron; in 2009, UNESCO put the Galapagos on its list of endangered sites due to overtourism and overpopulation; the Ecuadorian government acted by severely restricting the ability of anyone to move here, even including other Ecuadorians

On arid islands in the Galapagos, tortoises have evolved to have saddle-shaped shells and much longer necks to reach food while on more humid islands the tortoises have dome-shaped shells and shorter necks

In the Galapagos tourists are amazed at how humans and animals can live in such harmony; the animals don't view the humans as predators with tourists and locals taught to stay 6 feet away from animals

A visit to the Darwin Research Station is included on most tours; it hosts a tortoise breeding center, where young tortoises are hatched, reared, and prepared to be reintroduced to their natural habitat (tortoises are separated by island to avoid hybridization)

OK, not the best photo but I was trying to capture the blue-footed boobies synchronized diving; they'll fly around briefly before all diving at the same time without any apparent signal which was just mesmerizing to watch

Darwin's proposition that all species of life descended from a common ancestor is now generally accepted and considered a fundamental concept in science; he is considered one of the most influential figures in human history and is buried in Westminster Abbey

Lonesome George was the last Pinta Island tortoise and, when he died at age 102 in 2012, the species was declared extinct; the American Museum of Natural History paid for George to be preserved with his body an important symbol for conservation efforts in the Galápagos

Juvenile blacktip reef shark; these sharks inhabit the waters of the Indian and Pacific Oceans but the eastern limit of their range are the islands of Hawaii and Galapagos; they are not seen off the coasts of mainland North or South America

In combination with proportionally longer necks and limbs, the unusual saddleback carapace structure is thought to be an adaptation to increase vertical reach, which enables the tortoise to browse tall vegetation such as the prickly pear cactus

Situated in the middle of the archipelago, Santa Cruz is the most populous (18,000) and second-largest (381 sq mi) island in the chain; in 2002, a sister city agreement was reached between the island and Seabrook, TX (a city just SE of Houston)

Great blue heron; you won't find any large, chain hotels here and ships can have no more than 100 passengers; all of the Galapagos naturalist guides (our ship had 6) must be permanent residents of the Galapagos

All subspecies of tortoises evolved from mainland South American ancestors that arrived by overwater dispersal; they survived the 600 mile journey since they are buoyant, can breathe by extending their necks above the water, and can survive months without food or fresh water

The most populous town in the Galápagos is Puerto Ayora (population 12,696); it is often mistakenly called Santa Cruz since it's the largest city on Santa Cruz Island; named in honor of Isidro Ayora, an Ecuadorian president, the town is home to many artists

These two giant tortoises are mating with the much bigger male on top; the female typically tries to 'run' away with the male following her for days to wear her down; Santa Cruz Island is also known as Indefatigable Island