This morning we packed our belongings and with much regret left the MV Coral II. Most of us would have liked to stay a few more days.  There is so much left to experience in the Galápagos Islands!

We rode the dingy one last time to Puerto Baquerizo Moreno on San Cristóbal Island – the capital of the Galápagos Islands – where we spent an interesting hour visiting the National Park Interpretation Center.  There we watched a tortoise at least 100 years old wander slo-o-owly around his garden.  Tortoises are vegetarians; they have no teeth but use very strong gums to masticate their food and on the strength of those calories walk on average 800 metres per day.  They can actually be quite speedy (for a tortoise!) when in pursuit of a female.  Marcella provides an excellent commentary in the video.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/64513024@N07/21027156510/in/datetaken/

On our walk through the grounds of the Interpretation Center we admired Galápagos cotton and guayaba flowers among others.

The flower of the candelabra cactus grows from the fruit, rather than the other way round as is the case with most of our flowering trees. It gives the plant a rather interesting look.

A large statue of Charles Darwin dominates a slight hill that provides a view of the ocean below.  Flitting around the site were both male and female yellow warblers, numerous ground-finches and a Galápagos fly catcher.  Back at the Interpretation Center a mockingbird playing with an unfortunate moth caught our attention.  As I have mentioned before, it’s simply not possible to look around without seeing interesting and exotic flora and fauna.

While waiting for our ride to the airport a sea lion wandered down the pier to say goodbye and a brown pelican and a Sally Lightfoot crab shared our sadness at leaving.  A sea turtle even swam by to wish us safe travels.

I hope one day to return to explore the remaining islands.  This is truly a remarkable little part of our world.