04/25/2023 - Santa Cruz / Galapagos

Today we had to leave our dive ship. We said goodbye to all fellow travelers and the great crew. We saw all kinds of animals that are native to this area, both underwater and above water. The water temperature was a bit too warm and there was too little current, because the schools of hammerhead sharks, which are usually observed in hundreds at this time of year, did not show up. However, we were really impressed by the variety that was offered to us. We went ashore with all our belongings and took a taxi once across Santa Cruz Island to Puerto Ayora, the largest and most important place in the Galapagos Islands. About 25,000 people live here today. We walked along the busy promenade, stopping here and there in the shops and spending a long time at the harbor. Here, the sea lions lie on the benches and relax, young blacktip reef sharks swim in the harbor basin, small marine iguanas and crabs run up and down the wharf. This wildlife is not shy around humans and can be observed for hours. In the afternoon, we took the speedboat to Puerto Villamil on Isabella Island in two hours.