Isabela and Fernandina Islands
Today our naturalists were on the decks at dawn, scanning the horizon as we were entering whale country. A call came over the intercom just before breakfast, and we rushed to the deck, but unfortunately, only the exceedingly fleet-of-foot were rewarded with a sighting – though all would be satisfied later…
At 8:30 we slowed the ship to almost a standstill as we crept forward to the equator. All gathered on the bridge to watch the GPS slowly count down to our arrival in the Northern Hemisphere. With great fanfare and photos all around, we celebrated the passage, complete with an impromptu limbo contest under the “equator line.”
After breakfast, a pod of about thirty common dolphins appeared off the starboard side, jumping in unison, cutting through the water. Our captain followed, and for twenty minutes, we were treated to the graceful and playful jumps of these marvelous animals.
In the morning, we divided into two groups, one bound for the pangas and a tour of the coast, while the other boarded sea kayaks. In the shadow of Volcan Ecuador, we were met by scores of sea turtles, poking their heads from the water, and sometimes playfully following alongside our kayaks. Returning to the Islander, we donned our snorkel gear (and wetsuits as the water was chilly) found blue-footed bobbies nesting in the cliffs and Galápagos penguins looking on, wondering why we moved so slowly in the water.
After a spectacular Ecuadorian lunch, complete with roasted pig and dulce de tres leche, the call went out that there were whales in the water. We rushed to the decks, for fear of being too late, to be greeted by the breaching back of two Bryde whales. We followed these majestic creatures for a half hour before they tired of us and made themselves scarce.
Arriving at Fernandina Island, we found sea lions and myriad marine dotting the black volcanic landscape. We walked over aa and pahoehoe lava and amazing collection of flightless cormorants. They were nesting on the beach, and we observed the males bringing gifts of sea urchins and seaweed to their mates, as they took over tending to the eggs in the nests. A mother fed her young, and we even saw a pair mating before the dramatically setting sun drove us back to the Islander for another great dinner and another unforgettable night with our newfound friends.
Today our naturalists were on the decks at dawn, scanning the horizon as we were entering whale country. A call came over the intercom just before breakfast, and we rushed to the deck, but unfortunately, only the exceedingly fleet-of-foot were rewarded with a sighting – though all would be satisfied later…
At 8:30 we slowed the ship to almost a standstill as we crept forward to the equator. All gathered on the bridge to watch the GPS slowly count down to our arrival in the Northern Hemisphere. With great fanfare and photos all around, we celebrated the passage, complete with an impromptu limbo contest under the “equator line.”
After breakfast, a pod of about thirty common dolphins appeared off the starboard side, jumping in unison, cutting through the water. Our captain followed, and for twenty minutes, we were treated to the graceful and playful jumps of these marvelous animals.
In the morning, we divided into two groups, one bound for the pangas and a tour of the coast, while the other boarded sea kayaks. In the shadow of Volcan Ecuador, we were met by scores of sea turtles, poking their heads from the water, and sometimes playfully following alongside our kayaks. Returning to the Islander, we donned our snorkel gear (and wetsuits as the water was chilly) found blue-footed bobbies nesting in the cliffs and Galápagos penguins looking on, wondering why we moved so slowly in the water.
After a spectacular Ecuadorian lunch, complete with roasted pig and dulce de tres leche, the call went out that there were whales in the water. We rushed to the decks, for fear of being too late, to be greeted by the breaching back of two Bryde whales. We followed these majestic creatures for a half hour before they tired of us and made themselves scarce.
Arriving at Fernandina Island, we found sea lions and myriad marine dotting the black volcanic landscape. We walked over aa and pahoehoe lava and amazing collection of flightless cormorants. They were nesting on the beach, and we observed the males bringing gifts of sea urchins and seaweed to their mates, as they took over tending to the eggs in the nests. A mother fed her young, and we even saw a pair mating before the dramatically setting sun drove us back to the Islander for another great dinner and another unforgettable night with our newfound friends.
