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Santa Cruz is the hub of tourist activity in the Galápagos, since it is centrally located near the airport at Baltra; it has the most developed tourist infrastructure—hotels, restaurants, bars, transportation, tour agencies, etc; and it harbors the highest resident population, concentrated in the port town of Puerto Ayora. Virtually every cruise tour makes a day stop here so that passengers can visit the Charles Darwin Research Station and highland visitor sites and stock up on any supplies running low or unintentionally left behind. The following are the most popular visitor sites and attractions for cruise tours:
• The Charles Darwin Research Station is a non-profit investigative facility that focuses on gathering scientific data to shed light on conservation problems and solutions. Visitors can learn about the captive breeding methodologies being utilized to confront the threat of introduced species, meet a survivor of this threat, the famous Lonesome George, get up-close and personal with several of the other eleven subspecies of giant tortoise and land iguanas, and view coastal and arid-zone vegetation.
• El Chato Tortoise Reserve is a popular highland visitor site , where travelers can observe giant tortoises bathing and resting in their natural habitat.
• Los Gemelos are giant twin sinkholes located just off the main road in the highlands. Besides seeing the result of geological activity, this is a good site for seeing the highland Scalesia vegetation and for bird-watching.
• Bachas Beach , located on the north coast of Santa Cruz , is often the first destination on a cruise tour, since it is close to the embarkation point and a relaxing introduction to Galápagos touring. Here visitors can stroll along the white-sand beach, looking at Sally Lightfoot crabs, green sea turtle nests, and mangroves. There is also a small lagoon, where visitors can often see flamingoes.
Black Turtle Cove , also a popular principal or terminal cruise tour site, is a shallow inlet surrounded by mangroves, which provide protection for juvenile marine creatures. From the dinghy, visitors can see black- and white-tipped reef sharks, sea turtles, golden cowrays, spotted eagle rays, and, on the rare occasion, juvenile hammerhead sharks. Seabirds, like pelicans and blue-footed boobies, also come here to feed.
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