Day 37 and 38 Santa Cruz - Isabela Puerto Villamil

On the second day in Santa Cruz we walked to Tortuga Bay. We thought we would see turtles there, but that was not the case. Instead, there were many iguanas to see again. The beach was glorious with white sand and quite wide. In the back, there was a lagoon where you could also go into the water. We spent a few hours reading and observing in this beautiful spot. It was definitely hot here and the sun was powerful. We wouldn't be able to stand it without shade. Thank you for the shade providers, in this case, they were mangroves.

Last night I noticed that my phone was no longer charging. The cable and plug were okay. Oh dear, I realized again how dependent I am on this thing. I already played out in my mind what it would be like if it broke now. Fortunately, this morning it started charging again.

On the next day, we set off for Isabela Island, the third island. The rough sea today, but everything is okay. We first went to the hostel and then to a lagoon for swimming and watching fish and other marine life. Here we saw a sea turtle directly below us, iguanas, and sea lions. Afterwards, we walked again to a turtle breeding station, but this time with a guide who also gave us some interesting information. The turtles on Isabela live in volcanic regions (all still active). During eruptions, they often suffer injuries that end up being fatal for them. Or they are slaughtered for their meat or oil extraction. It's good that there are such conservation projects. The turtles raised there stay for 6 years before they are released into the wild. They are all microchipped.

Last night, we witnessed a political event on the sidelines. We don't understand the language, but it was a crazy situation. 😅