After a long navigation from the central islands of the Galapagos, this morning we reached the western realm of this outstanding archipelago. Towering volcanos typical of oceanic island surrounded us while early risers were up on the deck searching for marine mammals.
The first outing was along the northern volcano, “Ecuador”, of Isabela Island. A Zodiac ride looking at Galapagos penguins, brown pelicans, blue-footed boobies, and many other kings of sea birds perched on the steep cliff of Punta Vicente Roca delighted our explorers. The bizarre volcanic landscape and the geology of the area help us understand how species thrived in the past to adapt to this unique environment. Snorkeling was done afterwards. The biodiversity of the area allowed us to enjoy different kinds of fish but the penguins were the highlight of the day.
After being pampered by the northern volcano of Isabela we headed southwest to the most pristine island of Galapagos. Fernandina is considered the jewelry in the crown due to the astonishing flows of lava with different kind of texture and species distinctive from other islands. Punta Espinoza, our landing site, welcomed us with the largest species of marine iguanas. They were all over the mangrove trees as well on the lava fields. Lava lizards also were very active hunting flies around iguanas and sea lions that were basking peacefully on the beach. A couple of hawks scanning the field of the site most likely for their early supper were sighted by us. After spending about three hours in this remarkable place we headed back to the National Geographic Islander to enjoy drinks at the sky deck and share memories while the last beams of light were hitting the surface of the ocean.
