Isabela & Fernandina Islands
Having a long navigation overnight leaving Floreana Island, we woke up this morning on the western part of the archipelago, the seahorse-shaped Isabela, by far the largest of the Galápagos Islands. This area is still connected to the hotspot that makes these two islands one of the most active volcanic regions of the world.
Western Galápagos is a magical place. The perfect shape of the shield volcanoes with their young black lava flows, plus the algae that cover the coastline along the shore, are examples of the abundance of nutrients that create the upwelling that supports the rich insular marine ecosystems.
Just before crossing the equatorial line we were greeted by a Tropical Whale…
With the Zodiacs in the water, we took a ride along the base of a giant volcano. In the water we saw hundreds of sea turtles, giant marine iguanas, tiny hunting penguins, Galápagos flightless cormorants, and the oceanic sunfish. But we wanted to take a closer look at this rich ecosystem. We returned to the ship to get into our snorkelling gear. Everything we had glimpsed above water was now fully visible underwater, a truly unforgettable experience.
During lunch we repositioned to an island that represents the true essence and meaning of the Galápagos: Fernandina, the youngest, strangest and more pristine of all the islands of the group is consider the jewel of the crown. Fernandina is where we can see the very early processes of life taking place. These beginnings of life that go back to basics are impossible to understand in other places of our planet due to the passing of time.
Piles of black marine iguanas, red and blue crabs, and mangroves along the intertidal pools were filled with turtles trapped by the low tide; the black rocks along the coast were covered with flightless cormorants trying hard to cool off.
What a fulfilling experience we had! The uniqueness of this magical island will stay with us for the rest of our lives.
