One of the very special Galapagos locations are two westerly islands, Fernandina and Isabela. In the morning the National Geographic Endeavour is anchored by the landing area of Fernandina Island, Punta Espinoza. The explorers on board are organized to disembark on a dry landing area. The visitor site in Fernandina is well known by the great chances you have to see the largest iguanas, but it is also the youngest island in the archipelago. On the rocky path of the visitor site we are all impressed by the fantastic recent lava flows in the area. After talking about the formation of the volcanos in these islands we move quickly on, but with so many marine iguanas the adventurers could not stop their questions! Soon we are deep into explanations that give us a better understanding of such unique creatures. As we walk there is more to see and discuss, such as the lava cactus, Galapagos hawk, and flightless cormorants. We are so fascinated that our time here seems to be too short to cover all of the intrigues. After two hours of intense visits we are heading back to the landing site and prepare ourselves for the next part of the expedition today in another different location. Now we are going to the island of Isabela, where we’ll be disembarking in the afternoon.
By 2:15 p.m. we are anchored at the northern tip of Isabela Island by the Volcano of Ecuador, the smallest volcano on this island. Punta Vicente Roca is our destination for the afternoon where the plan is to go snorkeling first. All Zodiacs are loaded with enthusiastic snorkelers ready to take us to a place that feels unreal. We have turtles, penguins, and cormorants in the same location, which makes the best pictures! And they are not the only ones, we also have tropical and reef fish here. Everything is so close to us. It is amazing to be part of this natural world, showing us how special mother nature can be.
We all feel graceful and satisfied by this great, adventurous day.
