Northern Isabela & Fernandina Islands
What a terrific day we have had today! Early in the morning whales surfaced near the ship, and they kept our attention for an hour. We got close enough to identify them as Bryde’s whales. These are baleen whales and are a medium size marine mammal that feeds on small crustaceans and fish.
Later on, after crossing the equator line, we spotted a small pod of orcas near the jagged shoreline off the eroded Volcan Ecuador. We followed, photographed and admired these top predators of the oceans, and then made our approach to the anchorage at Punta Vicente Roca.
The geology of this area is fantastic: big shield volcanoes with very young, barren lava flows frozen in time as black streaks on the slopes. And of course, what I enjoy the most is the underwater world. The oceans that surround Galápagos are fascinating due to the different marine currents that converge on this Archipelago. Here in the west there are cold up-wellings which produce a rich marine ecosystem that is important for the whole of the Galápagos wild life. Feeding frenzies of blue-footed boobies attested to the richness of the waters off Isabela.
We saw a lot of marine species while on our Zodiac cruise along the coast and during our snorkeling outing. We even saw the giant strange looking ocean sunfish, and some of our guests got to see this huge bony fish under water! Flightless cormorants, penguins and sea turtles were here, there and everywhere. We were able to get exceedingly close to these graceful marine reptiles.
Caressed by a gentle sea breeze and warm sunshine, we felt a connection to the primitive splendor of these islands. Today’s visit was yet another memorable experience in the magical Galápagos Islands.
What a terrific day we have had today! Early in the morning whales surfaced near the ship, and they kept our attention for an hour. We got close enough to identify them as Bryde’s whales. These are baleen whales and are a medium size marine mammal that feeds on small crustaceans and fish.
Later on, after crossing the equator line, we spotted a small pod of orcas near the jagged shoreline off the eroded Volcan Ecuador. We followed, photographed and admired these top predators of the oceans, and then made our approach to the anchorage at Punta Vicente Roca.
The geology of this area is fantastic: big shield volcanoes with very young, barren lava flows frozen in time as black streaks on the slopes. And of course, what I enjoy the most is the underwater world. The oceans that surround Galápagos are fascinating due to the different marine currents that converge on this Archipelago. Here in the west there are cold up-wellings which produce a rich marine ecosystem that is important for the whole of the Galápagos wild life. Feeding frenzies of blue-footed boobies attested to the richness of the waters off Isabela.
We saw a lot of marine species while on our Zodiac cruise along the coast and during our snorkeling outing. We even saw the giant strange looking ocean sunfish, and some of our guests got to see this huge bony fish under water! Flightless cormorants, penguins and sea turtles were here, there and everywhere. We were able to get exceedingly close to these graceful marine reptiles.
Caressed by a gentle sea breeze and warm sunshine, we felt a connection to the primitive splendor of these islands. Today’s visit was yet another memorable experience in the magical Galápagos Islands.
