Urbina Bay and Tagus Cove

Today we visited the central part of the largest of the Galápagos Islands. After a wet landing we walked further into the island where our expedition led us to the most interesting terrain we could ever imagine. This area, which giant tortoises have chosen as their habitat, is covered with green vegetation. The misty season had left behind tress with flowers and leaves, a perfect area for the endemic giant tortoises and the very prehistoric-looking land iguanas.

Geology has given a touch of magic to this place over time. We could not believe how these giants were grazing the ground in a place that once upon a time was the bottom of the ocean. Yes! We are talking about an uplifted area created by the movement of tectonic plates. A big area of the coast of Urbina Bay was uplifted in 1959, bringing upwards some giant brain coral and other marine life that composes the sedimentary rock (made out of fossils) on land.

During this season many of the female tortoises have come down to the arid zone to lay their eggs and enjoy the still green plants that will soon lose their leaves. We could have not been more lucky than today, enjoying several giant tortoises and the natural habitat of the land iguanas as well.

Isabela is a big island made out of six different volcanoes; it is a natural laboratory of evolution where five species of tortoises had evolved over time. Many successful projects were done by the National Park on this island; one of them is the feral goat eradication program to help the conservation of endemic species.

After midday, following Darwin’s steps, we anchored at Tagus Cove, where H.M.S Beagle had anchored in 1835. The expedition had many options this time, in a place full of life. I do have to mention that the west side of the archipelago is very productive, full of life and activity, mostly in the ocean. While some of us went on a hike around the Darwin Volcano, others went snorkeling with penguins and sea turtles. We even went out for a Zodiac ride, where we had the chance to enjoy watching some very big manta rays mating close to our Zodiac. Along the coast many of the endemic Galápagos penguins were spotted, together with blue-footed boobies and some flightless cormorants.

A wonderful sunset bid us farewell for the day, with smiles on our faces and hearts full of pure feelings of nature in its own taste.