by Sarah Kuta
Last updated: 1:45 PM ET, Mon February 23, 2026
Giant tortoises have made a historic return to Floreana Island, with support from travelers sailing with National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions.
Last week, the Floreana Ecological Restoration Project released 158 giant tortoises back to the island in the Galápagos, more than a century after tortoises became locally extinct there. The project is led by the Galápagos National Park Directorate and the Galápagos Biosecurity and Quarantine Agency, and co-executed with Fundación Jocotoco, Charles Darwin Foundation and Island Conservation.
For more than a decade, the project has been supported by traveler donations to the Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic Fund. Since 2015, the fund has provided more than $1 million in sustained support for the project, supporting the work of Fundación Jocotoco and Island Conservation. The organizations have been focused on invasive species eradication, habitat restoration, community engagement and long-term monitoring efforts critical to ecosystem recovery.
“The return of giant tortoises to Floreana Island is an extraordinary milestone for the Galápagos and a powerful example of what expedition travel can and should support,” says Amy Berquist, vice president of conservation, education and sustainability at Lindblad Expeditions. “This achievement reflects years of science, leadership from local stakeholders and governmental bodies, and community collaboration. The success on Floreana is a reminder that when travel is rooted in respect, education, and collaboration, it can help protect the very wonders that draw us there in the first place.”
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