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El Chato Ranch, Santa Cruz Island, Galapagos, Ecuador

El Chato Ranch, located in the lush highlands of Santa Cruz Island, is one of the most rewarding places to observe Galápagos giant tortoises (Chelonoidis porteri) in their natural habitat.

This privately owned ecological reserve spans over 30 acres and offers a sanctuary where these iconic reptiles roam freely through grassy fields, muddy ponds, and native Scalesia forests. Unlike more controlled environments, El Chato allows visitors to walk among the tortoises, witnessing their slow, deliberate movements and massive size—some individuals weigh over 250 kilograms and can live for more than a century.

The reserve is part of a larger conservation effort to protect the tortoises, whose populations were once severely threatened by habitat loss and introduced species. El Chato plays a key role in supporting their seasonal migration between lowland and highland zones, offering a safe grazing ground during the cooler months. In addition to tortoises, the area is rich in birdlife, including Darwin’s finches, vermilion flycatchers, and the elusive Galápagos short-eared owl. Visitors can also explore underground lava tunnels formed by ancient volcanic activity, adding a geological dimension to the experience.

Accessible via a short drive from Puerto Ayora, El Chato Ranch is a popular half-day excursion and often included in Galápagos tour itineraries. The site offers basic amenities like a café, restrooms, and a small souvenir shop, but the real draw is the chance to encounter these gentle giants up close, without barriers. Whether you're watching a tortoise wallow in a mud pool or slowly munch on vegetation, El Chato provides an unforgettable glimpse into the wild heart of Santa Cruz Island and the enduring legacy of its most famous inhabitants.

Entrance to El Chato Ranch - Giant Tortoise Reserve

Sign warning visitors to keep 3 meters away from giant tortoises


Small Ground Finch
The Small Ground Finch (Geospiza fuliginosa) is one of Darwin’s iconic finches and a common resident of Santa Cruz Island in the Galápagos.

  • As the smallest of the ground finches, it measures around 11 cm in length and is easily recognized by its short, pointed beak—an adaptation for feeding primarily on small seeds. Males are typically black with white undertail coverts, while females and juveniles are streaked brown, offering camouflage in the island’s dry scrub and woodland habitats. Their widespread presence across both lowland and highland zones reflects their ecological versatility and evolutionary success.
  • On Santa Cruz, G. fuliginosa plays a vital role in the ecosystem. It feeds not only on seeds but also on insects and parasites, sometimes picking ticks off land iguanas and tortoises. This opportunistic behavior highlights the finch’s adaptability and its contribution to mutualistic relationships within the island’s fauna. Interestingly, finches in the highlands tend to have slightly larger and more pointed beaks than those in the lowlands—a subtle but significant example of microevolution driven by habitat and food availability. Where it coexists with other ground finches, such as the Medium Ground Finch (G. fortis), beak size divergence helps reduce competition.
  • Socially, the Small Ground Finch is a cooperative breeder, with helpers assisting in feeding and protecting the young. Nests are built in shrubs or trees and are dome-shaped, lined with plant fibers and feathers. Breeding typically coincides with the rainy season, when food is abundant. Their vocalizations vary slightly between island populations, and on Santa Cruz, their melodic calls and songs add a lively soundtrack to the arid landscape. As a living symbol of adaptive radiation, Geospiza fuliginosa continues to intrigue scientists and visitors alike, offering a window into the evolutionary processes that shaped the Galápagos.

Western Santa Cruz giant tortoise
The Western Santa Cruz giant tortoise Chelonoidis porteri is a subspecies endemic to the western highlands of Santa Cruz Island.

  • These tortoises are among the largest living reptiles, with males reaching up to 115 cm in shell length and weighing hundreds of kilograms. They are easily recognized by their strongly domed carapaces and thick, elephantine limbs, which help them navigate the rugged terrain of evergreen and deciduous forests. As cold-blooded animals, they are most active during daylight hours, often seen resting in water holes or grazing on vegetation between 8:00 and 17:30.
  • Tortoises of this subspecies are migratory, with most adults traveling seasonally between highland and lowland zones to follow the availability of fresh vegetation. Their diet includes a wide range of native and introduced plants—grasses, herbs, cactus pads, and even fruits from invasive species like guava and blackberry. During the dry season, they may spend up to two days resting in water holes to regulate their body temperature. Males engage in territorial combat using biting, shell-bumping, and hissing, while females compete for nesting sites by rearing up and vocalizing.
  • Reproduction occurs from February to March, with females descending to lower elevations to lay eggs in sandy soil. Nests are typically 20–33 cm deep and contain between 7 and 21 eggs, which take 110–250 days to hatch. Hatchlings disperse widely in their first two years before settling into smaller home ranges. Despite their resilience, Chelonoidis porteri is listed as Critically Endangered due to historical exploitation and ongoing threats from habitat degradation and invasive species. Conservation efforts on Santa Cruz, including habitat protection and population monitoring, continue to safeguard the future of these ancient giants.

Western Santa Cruz giant tortoise

Galapagos Pintail
The Galápagos Pintail (Anas bahamensis galapagensis), also known as the Galápagos duck or white-cheeked pintail, is a distinctive subspecies of the Bahama Pintail found throughout the Galápagos Islands, including Santa Cruz.

  • This small dabbling duck is easily recognized by its warm brown plumage, white cheeks, and a red-based gray bill. Adapted to both freshwater and brackish environments, it thrives in coastal lagoons, mangrove swamps, and highland ponds. On Santa Cruz, it is commonly seen in places like El Chato and the brackish lagoons behind Playa Las Bachas, where it forages quietly in the shallows.
  • The pintail’s diet consists mainly of aquatic plants, seeds, and small invertebrates, which it obtains by dabbling and tipping forward in the water rather than diving. Its feeding behavior plays a role in maintaining the health of wetland ecosystems, helping to control insect populations and disperse plant seeds. These ducks are usually seen alone, in pairs, or small groups, though larger flocks may gather during the breeding season or around abundant food sources. Their relatively silent nature—males emit soft whistles and females produce weak, descending quacks—adds to their unobtrusive presence in the landscape.
  • Breeding occurs near water, with nests built on the ground under vegetation or among mangrove roots. Females lay around 6 to 10 creamy eggs, which hatch after about 25 days of incubation. The Galápagos Pintail is an endemic subspecies, meaning it exists nowhere else in the world, and its survival depends on the preservation of the island’s fragile wetland habitats. Though currently listed as Least Concern, its limited range makes it vulnerable to habitat degradation and introduced predators. On Santa Cruz, its graceful movements and subtle beauty make it a quiet ambassador of the archipelago’s unique biodiversity.

Western Santa Cruz giant tortoise

Oldest turtle at El Chato Ranch
At El Chato Ranch on Santa Cruz Island, the western Santa Cruz giant tortoise (Chelonoidis porteri) roams freely through the lush highlands, and among them are some of the oldest living individuals in the Galápagos.

  • While exact ages are difficult to determine without long-term records, some tortoises at El Chato are believed to be well over 100 years old, based on their massive size, deeply worn carapaces, and slow, deliberate movements. These elders are living relics of a time before conservation efforts began, having survived decades of environmental change, human impact, and the introduction of invasive species.
  • The oldest tortoises at El Chato are typically males, as they grow larger and live longer than females. These giants can weigh over 250 kilograms and have carapaces that span more than a meter in length. Their behavior reflects their age—less active, more sedentary, and often found resting in shaded mud pools or beneath dense vegetation. Despite their age, they continue to play a vital ecological role, dispersing seeds and shaping the landscape through their grazing habits. Visitors to El Chato often find themselves in awe of these ancient creatures, whose presence evokes the deep evolutionary history of the Galápagos.
  • Though no single tortoise at El Chato has been officially declared the oldest, the ranch’s population includes individuals that may rival the ages of famous tortoises like Harriet and Diego, who lived well past a century. Conservationists monitor these elders closely, ensuring they have access to food, water, and safe habitat. Their longevity is a testament to the resilience of Chelonoidis porteri and the success of ongoing conservation efforts. As symbols of endurance and natural heritage, the oldest tortoises at El Chato continue to inspire both scientists and visitors with their quiet, majestic presence.

Giant tortoise shell collection at El Chato Ranch

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Location

Location: El Chato Ranch - Giant Tortoise Reserve, General Rodriguez Lara 629 Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz 200350, Ecuador