Northern Isabela & Fernandina Islands
What an utterly fabulous, unforgettable day we have had! Often, when we have had a phenomenal week and have “seen it all” here in Galápagos, we jokingly comment “now all we need is an eruption” – and a SPECTACULAR eruption is exactly what we witnessed this evening, at the end of an already completely full and successful day.
Fernandina is one of the most active volcanoes in the world, and on Saturday morning (April 11) there was news from the Darwin Station that there were lava fountains and lava flows that reached the sea near Cape Hammond, on Fernandina. Our staff, crew and guests have been anticipating the chance to navigate over to the southwestern side of Fernandina to have a view of the eruption from the decks of the M.S. National Geographic Islander. And what a view we have had tonight! But I am getting ahead of myself – let me share the entire wonderful day’s adventures.
We woke this morning early; I made an optional wake up call at 0615 and soon most of our guests had joined the naturalists on the sky and bridge decks of the NG Islander. We were navigating on a delightfully calm sea, and searching the horizon for signs of marine mammals. There was an odd haze, low over the ocean, off towards the north: “ah ha” we thought – dust and ash from the eruption perhaps? Within a half hour I spotted a large pod of dolphins a couple miles off our starboard and first officer Fernando turned the ship towards them. There were at least 300 dolphins, leaping and splashing ahead of us as we followed. Conveniently they headed west and as we rounded the northwestern tip of Isabela Island we could see, off in the distance, a billowy cloud above and behind Fernandina. We were pretty sure that cloud was the eruption steam cloud, and our anticipation grew.
We breakfasted, crossed the equator line with ceremony and a few blasts of the ship’s whistle, and anchored off Punta Vicente Roca at the base of Ecuador Volcano on Northern Isabela. Here we took a Zodiac ride along the rugged shoreline and enjoyed seeing and photographing sea turtles, flightless cormorants, penguins, fur seals and sea lions, blue footed boobies, noddy terns and other species of marine creatures. With our Zodiacs we were able to get close to the wildlife and watch their most intimate behavior: a male cormorant carried a huge piece of marine algae to his mate who was nesting on a rocky beach, baby marine iguanas were grazing on short cropped green algae that was exposed below the tide line, and a scruffy, molting penguin was hunched on a lava shelf looking rather forlorn.
Snorkeling was next on the agenda, so we wiggled into wet suits and slid into the chilly water from the Zodiacs. We were delighted to swim among feeding sea turtles, follow a cormorant as he dove and then poke among the boulders on the sea floor searching for a fish or octopus, swirl with a graceful, playful sea lion teenager, and admire dozens of colorful fish and invertebrate species. We could have stayed and snorkeled longer, but I was encouraging everyone to hurry just a little with each successful activity, hoping we could reach the eruption site before sunset.
After lunch we had to forgo the usual “siesta” so we could go on shore at Punta Espinoza on the north eastern coast of Fernandina early in the afternoon. A cool ocean breeze made our hike on the black lava fields bearable and we exalted in the wildlife we found on the shores of this still active volcano. There were huge marine iguanas by the hundreds, nesting flightless cormorants, sea lions cavorting in tide pools they shared with sea turtles and resting on the warm sand, large black lava lizards chasing the ubiquitous flies, a long thin Galápagos snake, and some of us watched a hawk feeding on a young iguana. It was difficult to hurry this visit at Punta Espinoza because there is so much to see and photograph, but we coaxed our guests along a bit and as soon as we were all aboard the NG Islander Captain Carlos hauled up our anchor and we headed west along the coast towards the billowing eruption cloud.
We reached the eruption site as the sun set in a blazing ball of red behind a haze of volcanic dust. As the daylight faded, the orange glow of three lava fountains, perhaps 4 and ½ kilometers up the lower slope of the volcano, came into view. These vents, along a radial fissure, fed a wide, roaring river of lava that streamed down the slope in a winding S-shape and eventually poured into the sea. Most impressive of all was the powerful, billowing steam cloud that blasted and expanded as the molten lava flowed into the cold ocean. It was indeed this steam cloud that we had seen from 40 miles away as we followed the dolphins early in the morning.
All our guests, staff, officers and crew were out on deck as the night darkened and the brilliant, fiery glow of the cascading lava, and the reflection off this scorching lava, lit up the ever growing and changing steam and ash clouds that filled the sky. We approached cautiously with the ship, and eventually came to within .3 nautical miles of the new point of land that has formed where the molten lava rolls into the sea.
We were mesmerized by the scene and astounded by the fiery display. We felt undeniably privileged to be able to witness this power of nature first hand. We were all alone at the eruption site; there were no other human beings for miles around! I find it hard to describe what we saw and how we felt and I fell that these words do not suffice. At one point we drifted slightly down wind and felt drops of condensation falling from the steam cloud. They stung our eyes slightly – probably the sulfur - so the Captain steered us quickly further up wind.
We took a break for dinner and the Officers held the ship just off the eruption. I called the guests back up on deck before dessert, because the steam cloud was gigantic; there were flashes of lightning in the lower part of the cloud, and sparks and glowing cinders were spraying when the lava fell into the sea. Around 2100 we decided to sail along further south to see what could be seen from a different vantage point. We had a fantastic look at the two main vents and could see glowing cinders spouted a couple hundred feet into the air and then splattering down on the craters that were building around each vent. We watched chunks of cooling, darkened rock being swept down the raging lava river.
By 2200 the vents were but tiny red flames on the black slopes of Fernandina behind us, the stars now sparkled overhead and the Southern Cross was easily identified. We had been up, active and filled with, first anticipation and then excitement, since 0600 so we were exhausted. Off we went very happily to bed, as the ship rocked gently enroute to our next anchorage. What an unforgettable experience! I am sending a few photos taken by Naturalist Juan Carlos to try and help you envision what we were so fortunate to witness today. The magical “Islas Encantadas” have provided us with yet another unbelievable, incomparable day.
What an utterly fabulous, unforgettable day we have had! Often, when we have had a phenomenal week and have “seen it all” here in Galápagos, we jokingly comment “now all we need is an eruption” – and a SPECTACULAR eruption is exactly what we witnessed this evening, at the end of an already completely full and successful day.
Fernandina is one of the most active volcanoes in the world, and on Saturday morning (April 11) there was news from the Darwin Station that there were lava fountains and lava flows that reached the sea near Cape Hammond, on Fernandina. Our staff, crew and guests have been anticipating the chance to navigate over to the southwestern side of Fernandina to have a view of the eruption from the decks of the M.S. National Geographic Islander. And what a view we have had tonight! But I am getting ahead of myself – let me share the entire wonderful day’s adventures.
We woke this morning early; I made an optional wake up call at 0615 and soon most of our guests had joined the naturalists on the sky and bridge decks of the NG Islander. We were navigating on a delightfully calm sea, and searching the horizon for signs of marine mammals. There was an odd haze, low over the ocean, off towards the north: “ah ha” we thought – dust and ash from the eruption perhaps? Within a half hour I spotted a large pod of dolphins a couple miles off our starboard and first officer Fernando turned the ship towards them. There were at least 300 dolphins, leaping and splashing ahead of us as we followed. Conveniently they headed west and as we rounded the northwestern tip of Isabela Island we could see, off in the distance, a billowy cloud above and behind Fernandina. We were pretty sure that cloud was the eruption steam cloud, and our anticipation grew.
We breakfasted, crossed the equator line with ceremony and a few blasts of the ship’s whistle, and anchored off Punta Vicente Roca at the base of Ecuador Volcano on Northern Isabela. Here we took a Zodiac ride along the rugged shoreline and enjoyed seeing and photographing sea turtles, flightless cormorants, penguins, fur seals and sea lions, blue footed boobies, noddy terns and other species of marine creatures. With our Zodiacs we were able to get close to the wildlife and watch their most intimate behavior: a male cormorant carried a huge piece of marine algae to his mate who was nesting on a rocky beach, baby marine iguanas were grazing on short cropped green algae that was exposed below the tide line, and a scruffy, molting penguin was hunched on a lava shelf looking rather forlorn.
Snorkeling was next on the agenda, so we wiggled into wet suits and slid into the chilly water from the Zodiacs. We were delighted to swim among feeding sea turtles, follow a cormorant as he dove and then poke among the boulders on the sea floor searching for a fish or octopus, swirl with a graceful, playful sea lion teenager, and admire dozens of colorful fish and invertebrate species. We could have stayed and snorkeled longer, but I was encouraging everyone to hurry just a little with each successful activity, hoping we could reach the eruption site before sunset.
After lunch we had to forgo the usual “siesta” so we could go on shore at Punta Espinoza on the north eastern coast of Fernandina early in the afternoon. A cool ocean breeze made our hike on the black lava fields bearable and we exalted in the wildlife we found on the shores of this still active volcano. There were huge marine iguanas by the hundreds, nesting flightless cormorants, sea lions cavorting in tide pools they shared with sea turtles and resting on the warm sand, large black lava lizards chasing the ubiquitous flies, a long thin Galápagos snake, and some of us watched a hawk feeding on a young iguana. It was difficult to hurry this visit at Punta Espinoza because there is so much to see and photograph, but we coaxed our guests along a bit and as soon as we were all aboard the NG Islander Captain Carlos hauled up our anchor and we headed west along the coast towards the billowing eruption cloud.
We reached the eruption site as the sun set in a blazing ball of red behind a haze of volcanic dust. As the daylight faded, the orange glow of three lava fountains, perhaps 4 and ½ kilometers up the lower slope of the volcano, came into view. These vents, along a radial fissure, fed a wide, roaring river of lava that streamed down the slope in a winding S-shape and eventually poured into the sea. Most impressive of all was the powerful, billowing steam cloud that blasted and expanded as the molten lava flowed into the cold ocean. It was indeed this steam cloud that we had seen from 40 miles away as we followed the dolphins early in the morning.
All our guests, staff, officers and crew were out on deck as the night darkened and the brilliant, fiery glow of the cascading lava, and the reflection off this scorching lava, lit up the ever growing and changing steam and ash clouds that filled the sky. We approached cautiously with the ship, and eventually came to within .3 nautical miles of the new point of land that has formed where the molten lava rolls into the sea.
We were mesmerized by the scene and astounded by the fiery display. We felt undeniably privileged to be able to witness this power of nature first hand. We were all alone at the eruption site; there were no other human beings for miles around! I find it hard to describe what we saw and how we felt and I fell that these words do not suffice. At one point we drifted slightly down wind and felt drops of condensation falling from the steam cloud. They stung our eyes slightly – probably the sulfur - so the Captain steered us quickly further up wind.
We took a break for dinner and the Officers held the ship just off the eruption. I called the guests back up on deck before dessert, because the steam cloud was gigantic; there were flashes of lightning in the lower part of the cloud, and sparks and glowing cinders were spraying when the lava fell into the sea. Around 2100 we decided to sail along further south to see what could be seen from a different vantage point. We had a fantastic look at the two main vents and could see glowing cinders spouted a couple hundred feet into the air and then splattering down on the craters that were building around each vent. We watched chunks of cooling, darkened rock being swept down the raging lava river.
By 2200 the vents were but tiny red flames on the black slopes of Fernandina behind us, the stars now sparkled overhead and the Southern Cross was easily identified. We had been up, active and filled with, first anticipation and then excitement, since 0600 so we were exhausted. Off we went very happily to bed, as the ship rocked gently enroute to our next anchorage. What an unforgettable experience! I am sending a few photos taken by Naturalist Juan Carlos to try and help you envision what we were so fortunate to witness today. The magical “Islas Encantadas” have provided us with yet another unbelievable, incomparable day.
