Urvina Bay & Punta Moreno
It has been our fifth full day in the Galápagos already and we keep being overwhelmed by the displays of nature. It was 06:30 in the morning when we were called by the crew from the bridge. They had spotted whales. There were at least three Minke whales swimming in synchronized patterns, showing that they were eating.The Minke whales are the smallest of all the rorquals, a group of baleen whales that occur on the waters of the archipelago. The ocean was very still and no wind was blowing at all, therefore it was very easy for all of us to admire the beauty of this sighting. The cetaceans accompanied the National Geographic Islander in its navigation for more than thirty minutes just performing shallow dives. The whale’s presence was a good fueling for us, since the morning is clear, pretty soon we were going to feel the effects of sun heat on the trail in Urbina Bay. And the heat came! But it was so exciting there that even though we never underestimated the probability of getting too hot; the hike was worth on every second of sun exposure. At the end we met with a refreshing dip on the ocean where cormorants were obliviously swimming near by the bathing crowd.
Noon came and with it a grateful lunch followed by the mandatory power nap, just long enough to be ready for the next adventure: Punta Moreno. This place represents the antithesis of what hospitality means, being the confluence of two immense lava flows, one coming from Alcedo and another coming from Sierra Negra volcanoes. While standing at this place is hard to understand how anything can prosper in such a hostile environment. But there it is! Life represented here and there by plants and some passing birds and insects. Although convincing ourselves about the ways of nature is not necessary, we wonder at the impetus of natural forces. Erosion has worked its way into carving or rather collapsing some areas on the lava, forming these pools where water turns brackish, allowing some birds like flamingos and moorhens to spend time there. Even frigates go there to take a sip of less salty water and rinse their feathers. We finished this day being on the edge of delirium. Even for a naturalist after twenty years of walking the trails, this day has been impacting and of course I know that once again the whisper of Mother Nature came upon my ears.
It has been our fifth full day in the Galápagos already and we keep being overwhelmed by the displays of nature. It was 06:30 in the morning when we were called by the crew from the bridge. They had spotted whales. There were at least three Minke whales swimming in synchronized patterns, showing that they were eating.The Minke whales are the smallest of all the rorquals, a group of baleen whales that occur on the waters of the archipelago. The ocean was very still and no wind was blowing at all, therefore it was very easy for all of us to admire the beauty of this sighting. The cetaceans accompanied the National Geographic Islander in its navigation for more than thirty minutes just performing shallow dives. The whale’s presence was a good fueling for us, since the morning is clear, pretty soon we were going to feel the effects of sun heat on the trail in Urbina Bay. And the heat came! But it was so exciting there that even though we never underestimated the probability of getting too hot; the hike was worth on every second of sun exposure. At the end we met with a refreshing dip on the ocean where cormorants were obliviously swimming near by the bathing crowd.
Noon came and with it a grateful lunch followed by the mandatory power nap, just long enough to be ready for the next adventure: Punta Moreno. This place represents the antithesis of what hospitality means, being the confluence of two immense lava flows, one coming from Alcedo and another coming from Sierra Negra volcanoes. While standing at this place is hard to understand how anything can prosper in such a hostile environment. But there it is! Life represented here and there by plants and some passing birds and insects. Although convincing ourselves about the ways of nature is not necessary, we wonder at the impetus of natural forces. Erosion has worked its way into carving or rather collapsing some areas on the lava, forming these pools where water turns brackish, allowing some birds like flamingos and moorhens to spend time there. Even frigates go there to take a sip of less salty water and rinse their feathers. We finished this day being on the edge of delirium. Even for a naturalist after twenty years of walking the trails, this day has been impacting and of course I know that once again the whisper of Mother Nature came upon my ears.
