Isabela & Fernandina Island

Today we awoke surrounded by huge volcanoes. The mist or “garua” typical from the dry season made the scenery mysterious and magical. Some of us were at the outside decks early, with our coffee and binoculars, looking for surprises on the Enchanted Islands.

The western side is the richest of the archipelago. The upwelling of Cromwell current brings all kind of nutrients to these waters. These nutrients bring a lot all life to the area. As we were navigating closer to the equator line we found a large pod of Common dolphins, and with them we observed some striped dolphins. Both species very rare.

After crossing the equator line, we moved to Punta Vicente Roca where we enjoyed a rocking but very interesting Zodiac ride, where we observed sea turtles, penguins, fur sea lions, marina iguanas and boobies. Snorkeling tends to be a little bit cooler, but completely worth it as the opportunity of swimming surrounded by sea turtles is unique!

We visited Fernandina Island in the afternoon. This is the most pristine island; youngest and the favorite of many Naturalists. Lava fields cover the entire area; a couple of primary plants have been strong enough to colonize this environment. Marine iguanas lay by hundreds all over the rocks; we came back as the sun was setting; all of us feeling exhausted but happy. This is the west … an area full of surprises!