Isabela & Fernandina Islands
Our expedition this week brought us to the western realms of the archipelago. From sunrise to sunset this can be described as a superb day. On our way to Punta Vicente Roca we passed the Equator line on board the National Geographic Islander; so we are now officially declared "shellbacks" instead of "pollywogs". The latter marine terms have been used for ages to describe a person who has passed, or not, the Equator line onboard of a ship. After the crossing we loaded the Zodiacs to explore the striking volcanic coastline around Ecuador Volcano. Shear-cut high cliffs and dramatic volcanic formations dominate the landscape. Various animal species were observed from the Zodiacs at a very close range, big marine iguanas, Nazca and blue-footed boobies, brown noddy terns, Galápagos sea lions and Galápagos penguins. A juvenile penguin observed on top of a rock was a favorite subject for photography. The odd shaped silhouette of the enormous giant sunfish (Mola mola) called our attention. This fish resembles a huge milling wheel with two big fins; its tail is rather scalloped and it seems that another fish has bitten it off. Snorkeling activities were successful as well. Waters were crystal clear and allowed us to be delighted with close sightings of the highly endangered Pacific green sea turtles.
We spent the afternoon in a different location, Fernandina. This is one of the most pristine islands in the world. The predominant marine current around Fernandina Island produces a very rich upwelling that generates a big profusion of food that attracts many animal species to these areas. Fernandina is, geologically speaking, one of the youngest islands of the Archipelago as well. Impressive black, recent lava flows are the natural setting for nesting flightless cormorants, Galápagos sea lions and huge marine iguana groups. At the end of the day a breathtaking sunset announced to us that it was finally time to head back to the ship. We left these paradisiacal realms behind but we feel now that the extraordinary memories we accumulated during this day will stay with us forever.
Our expedition this week brought us to the western realms of the archipelago. From sunrise to sunset this can be described as a superb day. On our way to Punta Vicente Roca we passed the Equator line on board the National Geographic Islander; so we are now officially declared "shellbacks" instead of "pollywogs". The latter marine terms have been used for ages to describe a person who has passed, or not, the Equator line onboard of a ship. After the crossing we loaded the Zodiacs to explore the striking volcanic coastline around Ecuador Volcano. Shear-cut high cliffs and dramatic volcanic formations dominate the landscape. Various animal species were observed from the Zodiacs at a very close range, big marine iguanas, Nazca and blue-footed boobies, brown noddy terns, Galápagos sea lions and Galápagos penguins. A juvenile penguin observed on top of a rock was a favorite subject for photography. The odd shaped silhouette of the enormous giant sunfish (Mola mola) called our attention. This fish resembles a huge milling wheel with two big fins; its tail is rather scalloped and it seems that another fish has bitten it off. Snorkeling activities were successful as well. Waters were crystal clear and allowed us to be delighted with close sightings of the highly endangered Pacific green sea turtles.
We spent the afternoon in a different location, Fernandina. This is one of the most pristine islands in the world. The predominant marine current around Fernandina Island produces a very rich upwelling that generates a big profusion of food that attracts many animal species to these areas. Fernandina is, geologically speaking, one of the youngest islands of the Archipelago as well. Impressive black, recent lava flows are the natural setting for nesting flightless cormorants, Galápagos sea lions and huge marine iguana groups. At the end of the day a breathtaking sunset announced to us that it was finally time to head back to the ship. We left these paradisiacal realms behind but we feel now that the extraordinary memories we accumulated during this day will stay with us forever.
