In this part of the archipelago the mornings are a wealth of tranquility, with calm seas and clear blue skies. Early risers got rewarded with a spectacular view of Venus, and later, just at sunrise, a big pod of common dolphins. Seldom does a Monday start that impressively.
Later, after a hearty breakfast we got ready for a walk on the youngest and most pristine island of Galapagos, Fernandina. This walk, on lava flows, beaches, and along many tidal pools, is an excellent impression of how early life develops on tropical oceanic islands. Estimated to be as young as nearly 30,000 years, this island’s ecosystem is only just beginning. Yet everyone, first visitors and veteran researchers, marvels at the diversity and abundance of life, especially on the shores.
We saw marine iguanas hunched together so densely and in such quantities that the rocks are only partially visible. Sea lions lingered in comfortable tidal pools. The small bay where the National Geographic Endeavour was at anchor was bustling with flightless cormorants, green sea turtles, and an occasional Galapagos penguin, all indirectly feeding on the nutritious water.
It is an upwelling, mostly of the Cromwell Current, that causes this water to be so nutrient-rich. Nitrogen from the deep is brought up into the photosynthetic zone, near the surface, so algae can grow and start the oceanic tropic cascade. But the algae growing on the submarine lava flows, easy to reach for the marine iguanas and the sea turtles, has great benefits from the endless supply of nitrogen. Without the thousands of marine reptiles on and around this island the snorkeling would be very different, for the algae would quickly grow into something similar to a kelp forest.
After the morning hike in the hot equatorial sun it is good to be back on board, where the air conditioner whirrs and the hotel staff nourishes us back into comfort.
Later today we experienced the productivity of the ocean by snorkeling nearby, at Punta Vicente Roca. We spotted a large group of penguins, several big school of bonitos, many coral and reef fish, and more than two dozen sea turtles. Once out of the water we headed out once more for a Zodiac ride along 1000 foot high cliffs, a big cave, and a beach where we counted more than 20 flightless cormorants.
To top off this day, the National Geographic Endeavour set course into the sunset to cross the equator, while the sun set at the exact time of the crossing and several guests and crew witnessed the famous green flash.
