Isabela & Fernandina Island

What a great day! Isabela and Fernandina Island are something different. These islands add a wild factor to our trip, as well as provide new views of unique places on earth.

We started our day early, exploring the north side of Isabela Island. We crossed the equator line while enjoying the view of the chain of volcanoes the makes up Isabela Island. Moments later we found ourselves surrounded by a pod of more than 500 common dolphins. It was time to take out our cameras and move to the front deck for the best show of the day!

At around 9:30 we explored the shore and cliffs of North Isabela, where the wildlife is superb. As soon as we boarded the Zodiacs we spotted the largest fish in the area, the Ocean Sunfish! We spotted more than a dozen of these large creatures, and we were just minutes into our journey. We were still having fun watching these gargantuan fish when we spotted whales in the distance. These large marine mammals were without a doubt the highlight of our Zodiac ride!

Moments later we had the opportunity to explore the undersea world and this is a different story. In the shallow waters of North Isabela we encountered dozens of pacific green sea turtles foraging and basking. These giant reptiles are exceptionally fearless and numerous on this side of the Galápagos. Sea turtles, sea lions, flightless cormorants and penguins all share this little cove, making this place an outstanding snorkeling site!

In the afternoon, we landed and visited Fernandina Island. This island is the youngest of the Galápagos Islands. Being mostly lava flows, its life forms are mainly pioneer organisms that somehow have adapted to the harsh environment they live in today. Fernandina is the most spectacular place, because of the number of marine iguanas you can find on the shoreline. Here we found the one and only flightless cormorant. Of all the species of cormorants in the world this is the only one that has lost the ability to fly. One of the many showcases of evolution!

It was just another day in a wildlife paradise.