Fernandina & Isabela Islands, 12/6/2021, National Geographic Endeavour II
Aboard the
National Geographic Endeavour II
Galápagos
This morning, our destination was Fernandina Island, a jewel of the Galapagos. As the youngest island in the archipelago, it features new lava formations that have rarely been explored by people.
Anahí grew up in a small house by the beach in the Galápagos Islands. Along with her best friend, she used to wander during the days around mangrove trees, becoming a different animal every day. She used to camp on solitary beaches, snorkel with shar...
Isabela is the largest island in Galapagos and today we had the opportunity to explore Elizabeth Bay and Punta Moreno. These two visitor sites are very close but very different from one another. Elizabeth Bay is covered with black lava and a mangrove forest, which becomes a perfect shelter for many species. The bay is home to flamingos, brown pelicans, and white-cheeked pintail ducks. This combination is a good reflection of the colonization of flora and fauna of the Galapagos.
As the sun rose, we headed to Urbina Bay, a visitor site found on Isabela Island at the slopes of the marvelous Alcedo Volcano. Isabela is home to a unique morphotype of dome-shelled tortoises and arguably the most pristine island of the Galapagos. We went for a short walk, and in addition to spotting the popular giants, we also observed the evidence of an uplift event which occurred in 1954. In the afternoon, we navigated for an hour to the historical Tagus Cove, the same place where HMS Beagle once anchored. With elusive octopi, fast swimming penguins, funny looking cormorants, and breathtaking views, we finished another great day in this enchanted archipelago.
Navigation brought us to the largest island in the Galapagos Archipelago, Isabela. Holding half of all land mass in the Galapagos, it has a diverse selection of ecosystems that we were able to visit. Urvina Bay was geologically uplifted in the 1950’s, taking two square kilometers of seafloor that was thrust upward, in certain areas up to four meters out of the water. Intertidal species were stranded inland, and we walked upon this area. Galapagos giant tortoises and land iguanas were found on our trail, and we were surrounded by Darwin finches and Galapagos mockingbirds. The afternoon brought us to Tagus Cove where we explored the surrounding waters, encountering Galapagos penguins and Pacific green sea turtles swimming among the kayakers and snorkelers. As the sun dipped below the horizon, adventurous hikers took a fast-paced hike to enjoy an incredible view of Darwin Lake and the immense island of Isabela.
