Northern Isabela & Fernandina Island
Early this morning we arrived to the vicinity of Roca Redonda. As we approached this volcano we could observe large numbers of birds flying all around. The top of this island is very flat and very steep cliffs around it make it almost impossible to climb. For a long time this inaccessible place stimulated the imagination of some writers and visitors, who dreamed about being able to be on the top of the island.
We sailed around this volcano for a while and then set course to northern Isabela Island. We crossed the equator line and then anchored off the coast of Punta Vicente Roca. This is one of the most beautiful places. Not only do we see unique wildlife, but one can also enjoy the impressive cliffs of this collapsed volcano named Ecuador. So we got on our Zodiacs and went on a ride along the coast. This morning we saw Galápagos fur seals, Galápagos sea lions, frigates, boobies, marine iguanas, sea turtles, and Galápagos flightless cormorants.
We ended this morning with some great snorkeling. We encountered lots of sea turtles. Some of them were resting at the bottom, others were actively feeding. Some of our guests were followed by a curious cormorant; others got inspected by a sea lion. It was a very fun experience.
After spending our morning on Punta Vicente Roca we moved towards Fernandina Island. During this navigation, Walter one of our naturalists gave us a great presentation on Charles Darwin. We arrived to Fernandina Island, the youngest island in the archipelago. We landed in an area where marine iguanas are very abundant, so we walked amongst piles of sunbathing iguanas. We also spotted some shore birds, sea lions, and sea turtles while being surrounded by the most gorgeous landscape. All around us we could see most of the large, active volcanoes from Isabela Island.
We had the luck of a great sunset at the end of our day in the western realm of Galápagos.
