The Galapagos Tortoise

Slow and steady: both the Galapagos Tortoise itself, and its recovery from near-extinction. They were a favorite food source for the pirates, whalers, and other culinarily challenged visitors to the Islands, being easy to catch and able to be stored upside down, without food, for up to a year in the hold of a ship. Honestly, I think I’d rather starve, but by all accounts they were considered very tasty.

Anyway, they’ve bounced back nicely thanks to careful management and breeding efforts. If tortoises are your thing, you’ll for sure want to visit the Darwin Center on Santa Cruz Island, where they breed and monitor the various species from hatch to release.

But to really get up close and personal, take a ride up to the highlands, near the nature preserves up there. The local farmers have started tortoise sanctuaries, so you can see these majestic* creatures run wild and free (well, they don’t really run.) Fun fact: tortoises have the right of way on Galapagos’ roads and highways. For reals.

*Majestic is in the eye of the beholder. They have more food on their chins than the average toddler.