Lonesome George of the Galapagos Islands ends his celibacy!

Our recent ‘blog’ reported the excellent news about the Galapagos Islands, Lonesome George – a tortoise thought of for decades of being the last member of a virtually extinct species, possibly becoming a father – further news has been released regarding the finding of yet more eggs!

Park Wardens at Galapagos National Park have now found a second patch of eight eggs. These eggs are undergoing their incubation period at the Charles Darwin Research Station where conservationists explained…… “most eggs are incubated at a slightly warmer temperature to produce a higher rate of female off-spring (tortoises lack the gender gene and temperature determines length of incubation, which determines gender). This is critical to ensure a faster recovery of the population, currently with a single member – George. The females that have shared George’s home for many years now, belong to the closest species to the Pinta Tortoise”.

We wait further news from the Galapagos!

I am now an adrenaline junkie – sort of!!

As any of my existing clients will already know I LOVE Costa Rica. It is without doubt the most special country I have ever visited or sold. In the 10 years I have been working here and selling Costa Rica I have always had amazing trips there and all our returning clients also come back loving this very special destination.

I try to visit at least every 12 to 18 months and this year I decided to take one of my best friends there for our annual trip away. September and October tend to be the rainiest months but I seem to go in September a lot and I have to say I always have an amazing trip. This trip was no exception.. Now my friend likes adventure I am not so keen. So a compromise was made.. How I ended up white water rafting and flying along a cable 650 metres above the ground I have no idea – it does not sound like much of a compromise to me!!!

First we went to the really stunning Pacuare Lodge. It is a really wonderful jungle lodge and the accommodation is out of this world. BUT the best way to get in and out is to white water raft. Now I have never done anything like this before and the thought of it makes me physically sick but I did it I rafted into the lodge and celebrated with a couple of G and T’s that evening!!! The rapids to leave the lodge are more heavy duty so I opted to take the bumpy 4X4 route out. Justified by saying that I would need to know how both options worked for clients. It was a bumpy uncomfortable ride but if anyone does not feel confident to raft in or out this is also an option and you still get to stay in an amazing location. I have promised to raft out next time I visit, so watch this space for an update next year perhaps!!!

So white water rafting is under my belt, we move on to Arenal Volcano. This is an area I always visit on every inspection trip or holiday. The volcano amazes me and I never tire of it. This is also one of the best areas to do another adventure activity – the Zip wire canopy tour. Now in previous trips I have backed out of doing the zip wires 3 times but this year I said I would do it.. Oh my God it was the scariest thing ever.. you are in a harness and you fly along a wire from one platform to another platform.. now the highest one is 650 metres above the ground and on the longest one I flew through a rain cloud!! An unbelievable experience. I can say I did it but I doubt very much I would do it again.. If I can do it then any of my clients can..

World Famous Tortoise-species lives on…..

Great news from the Galapagos Islands – their oldest living resident, George the Tortoise is about to become a father! We recently received this press release from the Galapagos National Park.

“The world’s most famous tortoise, and the living symbol of the Galapagos National Park, has taken an important step into saving it’s species from imminent extinction.

A last member of its kind, a male tortoise was found alone on his home island Pinta in the early seventies. Soon brought to the safety of the Charles Darwin Research Station, and named Jorge, or George in English, by the park wardens that took care of him. The word soon spread that Lonesome George was a living extinction unless a female was found for him to reproduce.

Scientists have searched the Island Pinta, as well as any zoo or private collection worldwide for a partner for George. Hopes have, over the futile years, focused on the last resource to save his species. George should breed with the most similar tortoise species in Galapagos. For this purpose, George has been sharing his pen with two attractive females from island Isabela’s northernmost volcano Wolf, a race similar to George, both physically and genetically. Strangely, George has shown so far little if any attraction to these females, and hopes to save the species have again dropped systematically.

Until this week: National Park Authorities proudly announced the finding of the first fertile eggs laid in George’s pen. A new hope is standing high to save the rarest tortoise in the world from extinction”.

Watch this space for further news!!