Isabela & Fernandina Islands
As soon as we woke up this morning, we spotted two orcas off the bow of the Islander. After breakfast, I went to the bridge, and the Captain showed me all the equipment he uses to sail the ship and direct its activities. He invited me to press the horn as we crossed the Equator. I was really excited. It was fun to watch the latitude and longitude lines on his screen creeping closer and closer to 000, at which point we’d be crossing the Equator into the Southern Hemisphere. In honor of the crossing, we all had to kiss a fish; it’s tradition!
Reporter: Heather S., Everyday Explorer; Photos: ship’s bridge and marine iguana
We went snorkeling off Zodiacs near the coast of Isla Espinosa. As soon as I got into the water I saw a couple of sea lions swimming around. They were really playful! They blow bubbles while they’re upside down in the water, which is a sign that they want to play. We can’t touch the animals, but you can use body language to communicate with them. I hung around them and watched as they frolicked. Literally three minutes later I saw a green sea turtle and decided to follow it slowly. I observed its behavior for about 15 minutes as it swam around and did “turtley” things. It made me feel really warm inside even though the water was cold.
Reporter: Keegan F., Everyday Explorer
“Life jackets on please,” said one of the naturalists. We were in for yet another wild adventure. Into the Zodiacs we all climbed, ready for an afternoon hike in Punta Espinosa. The wildlife on the walk consisted of many sea lions, green sea turtles, a few flightless cormorants, Sally Lightfoot crabs, hundreds of marine iguanas basking in the sun, blue-footed boobies, pelicans, several lava lizards, a Galápagos snake, and PENGUINS! We spotted the first penguins from the Zodiacs after finishing the walk. There were two standing right next to each other in their little “tuxedos.” Cameras were "click, click, clicking" away at the sight of the cute little birds. It wasn’t long, though, before our group had seen at least four more. "Ooohs" and "aaahs" filled the air whenever a penguin jumped into the water for a swim. It was very relaxing to sit and watch all the wildlife as the sun, shining a pinky-gold, began to set over another beautiful day in the Galápagos.
Reporter: Sarah K., Everyday Explorer; Photo: penguins
As soon as we woke up this morning, we spotted two orcas off the bow of the Islander. After breakfast, I went to the bridge, and the Captain showed me all the equipment he uses to sail the ship and direct its activities. He invited me to press the horn as we crossed the Equator. I was really excited. It was fun to watch the latitude and longitude lines on his screen creeping closer and closer to 000, at which point we’d be crossing the Equator into the Southern Hemisphere. In honor of the crossing, we all had to kiss a fish; it’s tradition!
Reporter: Heather S., Everyday Explorer; Photos: ship’s bridge and marine iguana
We went snorkeling off Zodiacs near the coast of Isla Espinosa. As soon as I got into the water I saw a couple of sea lions swimming around. They were really playful! They blow bubbles while they’re upside down in the water, which is a sign that they want to play. We can’t touch the animals, but you can use body language to communicate with them. I hung around them and watched as they frolicked. Literally three minutes later I saw a green sea turtle and decided to follow it slowly. I observed its behavior for about 15 minutes as it swam around and did “turtley” things. It made me feel really warm inside even though the water was cold.
Reporter: Keegan F., Everyday Explorer
“Life jackets on please,” said one of the naturalists. We were in for yet another wild adventure. Into the Zodiacs we all climbed, ready for an afternoon hike in Punta Espinosa. The wildlife on the walk consisted of many sea lions, green sea turtles, a few flightless cormorants, Sally Lightfoot crabs, hundreds of marine iguanas basking in the sun, blue-footed boobies, pelicans, several lava lizards, a Galápagos snake, and PENGUINS! We spotted the first penguins from the Zodiacs after finishing the walk. There were two standing right next to each other in their little “tuxedos.” Cameras were "click, click, clicking" away at the sight of the cute little birds. It wasn’t long, though, before our group had seen at least four more. "Ooohs" and "aaahs" filled the air whenever a penguin jumped into the water for a swim. It was very relaxing to sit and watch all the wildlife as the sun, shining a pinky-gold, began to set over another beautiful day in the Galápagos.
Reporter: Sarah K., Everyday Explorer; Photo: penguins
