The Galapagos Islands – Charles Darwin Research Center & Tortuga Bay – Sept. 15, 2011 (Day 5 of 5)

We had spent the night in the harbor at Puerto Ayora.  Our anchored boat was surrounded by other tour boats.  I spotted a blacktip shark in the water.

Blacktip shark


Other boats in port


We boarded a dinghy which took us to the Charles Darwin Research Station.  There, we saw many giant land tortoises, the most famous of which is Lonesome George.  Somewhere between the age of 90 to 100 years old, George is the last of his species and efforts to get him to breed with other turtles have failed.  When he dies, so will his species.
Charles Darwin Research Station

Lonesome George and me


Lonesome George


Other Galagagos tortoises


After the Charles Darwin Research Center, Anna and I checked into a hotel in Puerto Ayora, scheduled our SCUBA trip for the next day, and then we relaxed on the beach at Tortuga Bay.

Anna and me at Tortuga Bay