Today was filled with rare and wonderful sights that revealed the wealth of marine life in the Galapagos. Our photo shows people on a Zodiac cruise watching marine iguanas on Isla Isabela. In the surrounding waters we encountered dozens of green sea turtles lolling on the surface, and also passed numerous immense mola mola fish. The day began with bottlenose dolphins swimming around the ship. We then discovered a blue whale - a species only recently confirmed to inhabit Galapagos waters - and enjoyed close-up views as it surfaced and fluked repeatedly.
Later on, en route to Isla Fernandina, we paused to watch two Bryde's whales. As if that wasn't enough excitement, while hiking on shore in the late afternoon we watched as a pod of killer whales attacked a large herd of dolphins a half mile offshore. Several orcas leapt completely out of the water as the dolphins scattered at high speed in every direction seeking shelter in the island's shallow bays.
