Isabela and Fernandina Islands
This morning we woke up early with the hope of seeing whales by the northern tip of Isabela island, but a dense fog all over the area did not allow us to look for them. However we were excited at the very moment we crossed the equatorial line and shortly after dropped anchor at Punta Vicente Roca, close to Ecuador volcano. We got on the Zodiacs for a ride along the cliffs where we enjoyed a rich variety of wildlife such as pelicans, marine iguanas, sea lions, brown noddy terns and over all the endemic flightless cormorants and the tiny Galápagos penguins, one of the smallest on earth and the most northerly found. All of us were amazed to see upclose the mola-mola, also known as the sunfish because it comes up to the surface of the ocean to soak up the sun heat, at which time it let us see the large dorsal fin and a thick body that gives it an odd looking appearance but also makes it unmistakable. The snorkeling activity was outstanding at this spot since we have seen a good variety of fish and also many sea turtles feeding on seaweed underwater, but the most exciting experience was to swim very close to a huge manta ray.
In the afternoon, we visited Punta Espinosa on the northeastern side of Fernandina , the youngest island of the archipelago with an impressive shield-shaped volcano that is considered one of the most active volcanoes on earth. At the landing site, we found a large colony of some of the largest marine iguanas of the world basking on the sun; right after we walked across a sand area with a lot of little indentations where the female iguanas bury the eggs during the hot season. Then we reached the nesting grounds of the flightless cormorants and witnessed part of the courtship display of these vulnerable species. We have been also lucky to see some marine turtles and rays in a sheltered cove surrounded by red mangroves.
It has been without any doubt an extraordinary and unforgettable day in the Galápagos!
This morning we woke up early with the hope of seeing whales by the northern tip of Isabela island, but a dense fog all over the area did not allow us to look for them. However we were excited at the very moment we crossed the equatorial line and shortly after dropped anchor at Punta Vicente Roca, close to Ecuador volcano. We got on the Zodiacs for a ride along the cliffs where we enjoyed a rich variety of wildlife such as pelicans, marine iguanas, sea lions, brown noddy terns and over all the endemic flightless cormorants and the tiny Galápagos penguins, one of the smallest on earth and the most northerly found. All of us were amazed to see upclose the mola-mola, also known as the sunfish because it comes up to the surface of the ocean to soak up the sun heat, at which time it let us see the large dorsal fin and a thick body that gives it an odd looking appearance but also makes it unmistakable. The snorkeling activity was outstanding at this spot since we have seen a good variety of fish and also many sea turtles feeding on seaweed underwater, but the most exciting experience was to swim very close to a huge manta ray.
In the afternoon, we visited Punta Espinosa on the northeastern side of Fernandina , the youngest island of the archipelago with an impressive shield-shaped volcano that is considered one of the most active volcanoes on earth. At the landing site, we found a large colony of some of the largest marine iguanas of the world basking on the sun; right after we walked across a sand area with a lot of little indentations where the female iguanas bury the eggs during the hot season. Then we reached the nesting grounds of the flightless cormorants and witnessed part of the courtship display of these vulnerable species. We have been also lucky to see some marine turtles and rays in a sheltered cove surrounded by red mangroves.
It has been without any doubt an extraordinary and unforgettable day in the Galápagos!
