Fernandina, Isabela Islands
After sailing all night from Isla Floreana near the southern end of the Galapagos archipelago we reached Roca Redonda, the top of a submerged volcano that is home to thousands of seabirds. Guests and naturalists convened on deck at sunrise to look for whales and other sea mammals as we circumnavigated the great lava formation. We were greeted by countless brown noddy terns, Audubon’s shearwaters, blue footed boobies, Nazca boobies, swallow-tailed gulls, wedge-rumped storm petrels, Elliot’s storm petrels, and band-rumped storm petrels feeding in the rich waters surrounding the remote outcrop. Though whales were not spotted, a large group of bottle-nosed dolphins joined the ship and rode the bow. Flocks of red necked phalaropes were observed from the deck along with the large and uncommon Hawaiian petrel.
The Polaris moved on to a spectacular location along the western shore of Isla Isabela while guests enjoyed breakfast. We then embarked on a Zodiac ride along the colorful vertical walls of Isabela and had wonderful opportunities to observe numerous green sea turtles (some mating), Galapagos penguins swimming and feeding close to the boat, a flightless cormorant moving agilely within the surf crashing on the lava shore, marine iguanas lying languidly on the rocky slopes, fur seals watching us from ledges in the cliffs, a yellow-crowned night heron standing lifeless within a depression in the lava rock wall, brown noddy terns sitting on the backs of resting brown pelicans (waiting to steal food from the pelican’s gular sack), Galapagos hawks circling overhead, and juvenile blue footed boobies standing at the edge of cliffs testing their wings—all amid a flurry of seabirds diving for fish and swirling in the air around the Zodiacs. En route back to the Polaris the seas were choppy, but we encountered a huge Pacific manta ray as well as a couple of sun fish.
But the best was yet to come. After lunch some guests went snorkeling with penguins, but all took Zodiac rides to the shores of the pristine Isla Fernandina—an island void of any introduced species. By Zodiac we entered a clear blue lagoon surrounded by craggy black lava rock and red mangroves. We saw flocks of blue footed boobies preening, Galapagos penguins breeding within a few feet of our boat, a great blue heron, and a flightless cormorant standing sentinel. The experience onshore was even more fantastic. We walked among sea lions basking in the sun out on to lava rocks where marine iguanas were piled two and three deep absorbing the sun and heat from the rocks. We sat within a few feet of a small colony of nesting flightless cormorants and watched them preen, feed their young and sit on a nest. The lava rock formations were also adorned with brown pelicans and several clusters of “banana” cactus or lava cactus. How strange to see cactus growing up out of black lava rock right next to waves breaking over the shoreline. But that is the Galapagos—an area defined by the unexpected juxtaposition of seemingly unrelated entities. How can tomorrow top today’s experiences?
After sailing all night from Isla Floreana near the southern end of the Galapagos archipelago we reached Roca Redonda, the top of a submerged volcano that is home to thousands of seabirds. Guests and naturalists convened on deck at sunrise to look for whales and other sea mammals as we circumnavigated the great lava formation. We were greeted by countless brown noddy terns, Audubon’s shearwaters, blue footed boobies, Nazca boobies, swallow-tailed gulls, wedge-rumped storm petrels, Elliot’s storm petrels, and band-rumped storm petrels feeding in the rich waters surrounding the remote outcrop. Though whales were not spotted, a large group of bottle-nosed dolphins joined the ship and rode the bow. Flocks of red necked phalaropes were observed from the deck along with the large and uncommon Hawaiian petrel.
The Polaris moved on to a spectacular location along the western shore of Isla Isabela while guests enjoyed breakfast. We then embarked on a Zodiac ride along the colorful vertical walls of Isabela and had wonderful opportunities to observe numerous green sea turtles (some mating), Galapagos penguins swimming and feeding close to the boat, a flightless cormorant moving agilely within the surf crashing on the lava shore, marine iguanas lying languidly on the rocky slopes, fur seals watching us from ledges in the cliffs, a yellow-crowned night heron standing lifeless within a depression in the lava rock wall, brown noddy terns sitting on the backs of resting brown pelicans (waiting to steal food from the pelican’s gular sack), Galapagos hawks circling overhead, and juvenile blue footed boobies standing at the edge of cliffs testing their wings—all amid a flurry of seabirds diving for fish and swirling in the air around the Zodiacs. En route back to the Polaris the seas were choppy, but we encountered a huge Pacific manta ray as well as a couple of sun fish.
But the best was yet to come. After lunch some guests went snorkeling with penguins, but all took Zodiac rides to the shores of the pristine Isla Fernandina—an island void of any introduced species. By Zodiac we entered a clear blue lagoon surrounded by craggy black lava rock and red mangroves. We saw flocks of blue footed boobies preening, Galapagos penguins breeding within a few feet of our boat, a great blue heron, and a flightless cormorant standing sentinel. The experience onshore was even more fantastic. We walked among sea lions basking in the sun out on to lava rocks where marine iguanas were piled two and three deep absorbing the sun and heat from the rocks. We sat within a few feet of a small colony of nesting flightless cormorants and watched them preen, feed their young and sit on a nest. The lava rock formations were also adorned with brown pelicans and several clusters of “banana” cactus or lava cactus. How strange to see cactus growing up out of black lava rock right next to waves breaking over the shoreline. But that is the Galapagos—an area defined by the unexpected juxtaposition of seemingly unrelated entities. How can tomorrow top today’s experiences?
