Puerto Ayora: Heart of the Galápagos Living Laboratory
Puerto Ayora — the main town of the Galápagos Islands on Santa Cruz — is the base for the Charles Darwin Research Station and the entry point to the world's greatest wildlife destination; the giant tortoises, marine iguanas, and blue-footed boobies are accessible from the town itself
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Charles Darwin Research Station
The Charles Darwin Research Station - the scientific institution that has been driving the conservation of the Galápagos since 1964 - is a 15-minute walk from the center of Puerto Ayora; the turtle breeding program, the scientific exhibits and the live giant tortoises are the face of the station
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Giant Tortoise Galápagos
The Galápagos giant tortoise — with a lifespan exceeding 150 years and weighing up to 250 kg — is the archipelago's iconic animal; Darwin Station's breeding program has bred over 6,000 turtles from the most threatened subspecies; individual turtles can be observed up close
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Lonesome George Legacy
Lonesome George – the last Pinta Island tortoise, who died in 2012 – was the world's rarest living creature and the symbol of Galápagos conservation efforts; his preserved body is displayed at Darwin Station; his story embodies both the extinction crisis and the conservation response
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Marine iguanas at the dock
The Puerto Ayora jetty and water are home to marine iguanas - the world's only marine lizard - basking on the rocks and in the street; The iguanas' prehistoric appearance, their ability to swim and their indifference to humans create one of the world's most extraordinary urban wildlife encounters
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Sea lion in town
Galápagos sea lions sleep on the Puerto Ayora benches, beach and fishing pier — the animals' complete lack of fear of humans (the result of no evolutionary history with predators) creates intimate encounters impossible anywhere else in the world
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Darwin's legacy
Charles Darwin visited the Galápagos in 1835 aboard the Beagle - the five-week visit was instrumental in the development of the theory of evolution by natural selection; Puerto Ayora's Darwin Station, Darwin Lake and Darwin Avenue remind visitors of the intellectual revolution that began on these islands