2013-04-06—2013-04-07 
【Aiden in English】
Santa Cruz Island was the second-largest island in the Galapagos and home to Puerto Ayora, the largest town. In 1959, the Republic of Ecuador declared all the islands, except areas already colonised, as the Galapagos National Park. In the same year, the Charles Darwin Foundation was established to promote scientific research and ensure the conservation of the Galapagos Islands. Not until 1978 were the Galapagos Islands designated by UNESCO as a World Natural Heritage Site and, in 1985, a World Biosphere Reserve. In 1992, the Ecuadorian government declared the waters surrounding the Galapagos a marine reserve. The headquarters of both the park and the foundation were located here. We tromped through the park's undergrowth in extremely hot and humid conditions. In the Highlands region, the lush greenery was perfect for animals like giant land tortoises to survive and breed. Land tortoises varied from island to island in terms of species. The genotype was the same, but the phenotype could be different. The "Galapagos" refers to the islands in the Galapagos, not the giant Tortoise. We followed the first footprint of a giant tortoise estimated to be 96 years old. It had algae covering its legs, probably from bathing in the water. A yellow warbler flew past as we saw a poison apple tree, one of the world's most dangerous plants. This tree-like apple was a mortal danger because it contained a hazardous liquid. If you touched it, you would have a rash for a month. SpanisMossss, nicknamed Old Man's Beard, grew upon the more enormous trees like air plants in the forest. It was an epiphyte that absorbed nutrients and water from the air and rainfall. We finished marching in the woods with a local fruit buffet on a farm before our next activity. We continued to have a short and easy hike in the Fausto Llerena Tortoise Centre, specialising in tortoise breeding. It was reported that the tortoise centre had a long-term program run jointly by the Galapagos National Park and the Charles Darwin Foundation. It began in 1965 to save the giant tortoise population on Pinta Island and was quickly expanded to include other populations, particularly Española, where only 14 individuals remained. As of 2008, over 4,000 young tortoises from 8 different populations had been repatriated to their island of origin, with nearly 1,500 returning to Española. At the Tortoise Centre, we observed a diverse range of tortoises, characterised by their distinctive necks and faces, spanning from hatchlings to juveniles to mature individuals. In general, the boys looked fabulous, and the girls were hot. The different temperatures resulted in different sexes. Boys tended to be hatched at a low temperature of 28.0oC, while girls were hatched at a high temperature of 29.5oC. The population between males and females was out of proportion. To revive the lost species, scientists induced more girls than boys. The Galapagos National Park on Santa Cruz Island was also home to Lonesome George, the last survivor of the distinct Pinta subspecies from Pinta Island. Unfortunately, he passed away on June 24, 2012. His species disappeared for good. We passed by a "palace" where he used to live. He had a watering hose, a garden, trees, and visitors like us from around the world. It was anything a tortoise would want. Several other tortoises were there, but none seemed to have the same luxury as his. Lonesome George tried to mate with two other female tortoises from different islands, but their two eggs were unsuccessful and didn't hatch. He died of possibly natural causes and was over 100 years old, which was pretty old for his species. As I kept walking another mile, the sun got hotter and hotter. Soon, my vision blurred from droplets of sweat. Finally, I uploaded a truck taxi and zipped off to the Municipal Pier. I wish I had sat in the passenger seat, not in the truck's trunk, because there were no seatbelts. Here, we happily ended our last shore excursion in the Galapagos. The seven-day voyage changed our vision via fauna, flora, and ecological habitat. It helped us understand the evolution of "natural selection" and "survival of the fittest" over generations. 【紅霞譯】 聖克魯斯“十字架”島屬於加拉帕戈斯“巨龜”群島中第二大島，全省最大的城市阿約拉“天守神”港就座落在此，1959年厄瓜多爾“赤道”共和國將該地區所有尚未殖民化的島嶼全部納入加拉帕戈斯國家公園，同年並成立查爾斯·達爾文“自由人·親愛的朋友”基金會，旨在推動科學研究以確保當地生態環境；1978年，加拉帕戈斯群島被聯合國教科文組織列入《世界自然遺產名錄》；1985年，又被評為世界生物圈保護區；1992年，加拉帕戈斯群島水域被厄瓜多爾政府確認為海洋保護區。國家公園和基金會總部分別設在聖十字架島。 “清風無力屠得熱，落日着翅飛上山”。悶熱天氣里參觀加聖十字架島的加拉帕戈斯國家公園叫我們倍感辛苦，高地一帶，鬱鬱蔥蔥的原始森林為巨型陸龜──象龜生存和繁衍後代提供了生活保障，加拉帕戈斯群島素以盛產象龜聞名於世，不過島與島之間遺傳基因相同的象龜可能因為環境不同而出現不同的表徵，西班牙語“加拉帕戈斯”原本就是“巨龜”的意思。 我們追隨的第一隻象龜大概有96歲，它腿上纏滿了綠藻，估計剛在池塘里洗過澡，這時黃鶯從眼前飛過，直奔毒蘋果樹而去，之所以稱它毒蘋果樹，是因為其果汁有毒，倘若你動到它，定會叫你渾身遍生皮疹，一個月不見消退。綽號叫“老頭鬍子”的西班牙苔蘚隨處可見，像空中飄蕩的植物懸浮在大樹身上，它屬於附生植物，從空氣和降雨中吸收養分，從象龜生活的野林子歸來，我們在一家農莊稍事休息，先從新鮮入時的水果自助餐上挑些可口的食物犒勞一下自己，然後再繼續進行下面的活動項目。 接下來我們來到福斯托·萊雷納“好運·月桂樹”陸龜中心參觀，據報導該中心長期與加拉帕戈斯國家公園及達爾文基金會合作，早在1965年就曾為拯救斑點島象龜存活而進行定向繁殖和人工飼養，後來很快擴大到其它象龜品種，尤其針對西班牙島嶼當時僅存的14隻象龜。截至到2008年，從八個不同亞種的象龜配對中培育出4,000多隻後代，並及時將它們遣送原籍，這麼算來大約1,500隻已回到了西班牙島嶼。在象龜中心，我們看到大小不一且長有外星人脖子和面孔的象龜，男孩(冷)酷，女娃(熱)辣！就孵化溫度而言，攝氏28.0oC低溫適於男孩出世，而攝氏29.5oC高溫則適於女孩降生，在象龜世界裡，科學家一向重女輕男，性別比例嚴重失調，其目的在於保障象龜家族千秋萬代後繼有人。
“單身漢喬治‘農夫’”之家座落在聖克魯斯島加拉帕戈斯國家公園境內，其主人曾是平塔“斑點”島平塔亞種中最後一隻，遺憾的是去年2012年6月24日與世長辭，標誌着它所代表的物種從地球上徹底滅絕。我們特意趕到其“宮殿”參觀，沖水龍頭、花園綠樹，“四時有不謝之花，八節有長青之草”，一年到頭還有全世界像我們這樣遠渡重洋慕名而來的粉絲，任何烏龜王八夢寐以求的東西，在這裡都可以化為現實。與它為鄰的幾隻象龜住所卻大相徑庭，毫無奢華氣派。“單身漢喬治”曾試圖與其它兩位來自外島的異性象龜交配，雖然先後產過兩個龜蛋，但最終未能如願以償。它大概壽終正寢，自然老死時年紀超過100歲，應該算作同類中比較長壽的代表。 我頭頂烈日，堅持向前挺進一英里路，不大會兒便汗流滿面，視線也變得模糊起來，“黃鶯也愛新涼好，飛過青山影里啼”，我趕緊登上出租卡車，風馳電掣般沖回市政碼頭。嗨！真後悔當初性急沒坐進駕駛艙里而蜷在敞篷後備箱上，那裡連安全帶都沒有。
到此為止我們滿載喜悅，圓滿結束了加拉帕戈斯群島之旅。七天巡遊中，通過觀摩動物、植物以及與它們息息相關的生態環境，我們審視大自然的視野發生了改變，對漫長生物進化中“物競天擇適者生存”有了更貼切的理解。 Today in History(歷史上的今天): 2012: 佛州迪斯尼世界神奇王國(Walt Disney Magic Kingdom, FL)
2011: 埃及阿布辛貝神廟(Abu Simbel Temples, Egypt) 2011: 埃及菲萊神廟(Temple of Philae, Egypt)  Puerto Ayora, the Biggest Town on the Galápagos Islands
(阿約拉港·加拉帕戈斯群島最大的城)
 Municipal Pier of Puerto Ayora
(阿約拉港·市政碼頭 04-06-2013)  Gus Angermeyer Ecotourism Pier
(格斯·安格梅爾“偉大·佃農”生態旅遊碼頭 04-06-2013)  Galapagos NP (加拉帕戈斯國家公園 04-06-2013)
 Santa Cruz Highlands, Scalesia Forest
(聖克魯斯高地·斯卡利斯亞“巨型雛菊"森林)  Santa Cruz Highlands, a Key Habitat for Giant Tortoises
(聖克魯斯高地·巨型陸龜的主要棲息地 04-06-2013)  Red-Green Micro Ferns Growing on the Pond
(池塘里長滿紅綠微型蕨類植物)  Home to Lonesome George (“單身漢喬治”之家 04-06-2013)
4th-Grade Pals from PA & CA (來自賓州和加州四年級的夥伴)
 Charles Darwin Research Station
(查爾斯·達爾文研究站 04-06-2013)  Bronze Bust of Charles Darwin
(《查爾斯·達爾文》半身像 04-06-2013)  Fausto Llerena Tortoise Breeding Center
(福斯托·萊雷納象龜繁殖中心 04-06-2013)
 Fruit Snack (水果甜點 04-06-2013)
Giant Tortoise, a Symbol of Longevity, Wisdom, Protection, & Groundedness (象龜·長壽、智慧、保護和紮根的象徵 04-06-2013)
Giant Tortoise w/ Good Fortune (象龜·代表福祉) 
Giant Tortoise, Typically Living for over 100 Years (象龜·通常壽命為超過100年)  Land Iguana, Heat-Absorbed from Sunbath on Volcanic Rock & Heat-Conserved in Burrows from Sleep at Night
(陸鬣蜥·白天在火山岩上曬太陽取暖，晚上在洞穴里睡覺以保留身體熱量)  Yellow Warbler (黃鶯)
 Galápagos Flycatcher (加拉帕戈斯霸鶲)
Galápagos Mockingbird w/ Inquisitiveness (好奇心旺盛的加拉帕戈斯仿生鳥)
 Lava Heron, an Endemic to the Galápagos Islands
(熔岩蒼鷺·加拉帕戈斯特有鷺類)  Galápagos Brown Pelican, a Living Symbol of How Successful Wildlife Conservation Can Be
(加拉帕戈斯褐鵜鶘·野生動物保護成功的鮮活象徵)  Galápagos Sea Lions w/ Its Preference for Rocky, Sheltered Coastline
(海狗·對岩石密布、避風的海岸線情有獨鍾)  Scalesia Forest, a Giant Type of Daisy, & Endemic to the Galápagos
(巨型雛菊林·加拉帕戈斯群島的特有植物 04-06-2013)  Scalesia pedunculata, Growing up to 49-66 Feet/15-20 Meters Tall
(長柄鱗葉松·可長到49—66英尺/15—20米高 04-06-2013)
Bananas under SpanisMossss (西班牙苔蘚下的香蕉串) 
Spanish Moss Characteristic of Epiphytic Nature (西班牙苔蘚·具有附生性) 
Spanish Moss Nest (西班牙苔蘚鳥窩) 
Saguaro w/ Adaptation to the Galápagos Environment (薩瓜羅“巨人柱”仙人掌·適應加拉帕戈斯島嶼環境 04-06-2013)
 Saguaro, a Species Native & Iconic to the Sonoran Desert of the Mexican Most Biodiverse Desert in the World
(薩瓜羅仙人掌·世上生物多樣性最豐富的墨西哥索諾蘭“鏗鏘有力”沙漠本土物種和標誌性植物)  Poison Apple Tree, Listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the World's Most Dangerous Tree
(毒蘋果樹被列入《吉尼斯世界紀錄大全》世界上最危險的樹)  Los Gemelos, 2 Sinkholes of Collapsed Craters w/ the Larger One around 920 Feet/280 Meters Deep
(格梅洛斯“雙胞胎”·兩個塌陷火山口天坑，較大的深約920英尺/280米)  Academy Bay of Puerto Ayora, the Natural Harbor of Santa Cruz Island in the Galápagos Islands Archipelago
(阿約拉港學院灣·加拉帕戈斯群島聖克魯斯島的天然良港 04-07-2013)
 Aeropuerto Seymour @ Baltra w/o Direct International Flights
(巴爾特拉島西摩“深膚色人之地”機場·沒有國際直飛航班 04-07-2013)  Baltra Island Once the Site of a US Military Base During World War II
(巴爾特拉島·曾是二戰期間美國軍事基地的所在地 04-07-2013)
 曼陀羅、黃喇叭樹、長春花、鳳凰木
雪果、 單子山楂、白花紅樹林、加拉帕戈斯雛菊
 長壽花、聖誕耳蕨、毛茛草、藍花假紫荊
巨人柱花、 巨人柱樹皮、狐尾草、黑眼地衣
 白花蛇舌草、 野生一品紅、天芥菜、藍色馬尾藻
 Small Tanker (小油輪)
Crosslinks(相關博文): 2013: San Critobal's Kicker Rock/Witch Hill(巨龜群島睡獅岩女巫嶺)
2013: San Cristobal's Frigatebird Hill(巨龜群島克里斯托瓦爾島·軍艦鳥山) 2013: N.Seymour Is, Birdwatch in Galapagos(巨龜群島北西摩島·觀鳥) 2013: St Cruz's Bachas Beach, Galapagos(巨龜群島聖克魯斯島·巴查斯海灘) 2013: Bartolome Is Pinnacled in Galapagos(巨龜群島巴托洛梅島·尖峰岩) 2013: Santiego's Sullivan Bay, Galapagos(巨龜群島聖地亞哥島·蘇利文灣) 2013: Isabella Is, the Largest & Wildest(伊莎貝拉島·巨龜群島最大最野) 2013: Rabida Is w/ Red Beaches, Galapagos(巨龜群島拉比達島·紅沙灘) 2013: Santiego's James Bay, Galapagos(巨龜群島聖地亞哥島·詹姆斯灣) 2013: Baltra & Daphine Is, Galapagos(巨龜群島巴爾特拉島和達芙妮島) Ecuador(出遊厄瓜多爾)
South America(漂流南美洲) 小學四年級(4th Grade) |
