Santa Cruz is the island with the largest population. In its seaport of Puerto Ayora, you will find the administration of the National Park as well as the Charles Darwin Research Station. Several museums show the island's origin to the visitors.

 

 

To preserve the different turtle species from becoming extinct, the station has built several breeding enclosures. "Lonesome George", the last representative of his species lives in one of them. Up to now, there hasn't been any success in mating him with the most closely related species. Except for animals like rats, cats, dogs, goats and donkeys, the species living on Galapagos have never had natural enemies and that is why they have lost their original instinct of flight. Even if you can approach them more closely here than anywhere else in the world, you should not confuse this with habituation to humans and for this reason it is strictly forbidden to touch or even feed the animals!