Galápagos Giant Tortoise

This tortoise has the dome shaped shell. There is a smaller variety with a "saddleback" shell. We saw both types, on two different days, but on both occasions not precisely in the wild. Instead they were in special facilities where they are bred and then a lot of them are moved to the proper islands when they are several years old, and some are kept for the tourists to be able to see and get close to. We went to the Cerro Colorado breeding center on San Cristobal Island. Later in the day we went to the town of Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, also on San Cristobal, to visit the Interpretation Center. And also to do a bit of shopping. SHOPPING!! SOUVENIRS!

The extras are a couple of the 18 or so Darwin's Finches - they keep changing the number. The first is a woodpecker finch, the second is (I think) a small ground finch - probably a female given the color of the beak.

And the final extra is a very intriguing and clever wall in the little port town of Puerto Baquerizo Moreno.