Isabela & Fernandina Islands
With a spectacular view of the Ecuador volcano, early in the morning we crossed the Equator line; we found ourselves looking for whales or other sea attractions. We wondered how this volcano looked before when it was active and a huge explosion destroyed it. It seems like that event occurred a long time ago. Nowadays life goes on and it is beautiful.
As soon we anchored at Punta Vicente Roca, we began one of the best Zodiac rides we can enjoy in Galápagos. We saw penguins, sea turtles, flightless cormorants and one of the rarest fish: the giant sunfish (Mola mola), swimming very close to us. While on the rocks, a group of marine iguanas began their day jumping in a very wavy sea with only one mission: to obtain food. We saw them swimming beside of a group of playful sea lions who enjoyed biting and pulling the iguanas’ tails.
We enjoyed seeing of all of these marvelous creatures closer, during snorkeling. It certainly was excellent, not only because the temperature was perfect, but also for everything that can be seen here. Imagine, there is not another place in the world where you can swim with penguins and flightless cormorants. We came back to the National Geographic Islander and enjoyed a great lunch.
In the afternoon, during the kid’s activities, I helped them invent new species of fish. Their creativity shows after seeing so many interesting and rare new animals with different shapes, colors and sizes and that live in the Galápagos. When we finished painting, we disembarked at Fernandina Island.
The tide was very low today and we landed on the black rocks. We saw green algae on the rocks and immediately we thought life here was easier today, for the marine iguanas had food served on the rocks and did not need to dive for eating. Walking through the rocks, we had our attention called to something special: a small Darwin finch was cleaning an iguana, eating the molted skin from the tail up to the head. It was noticeable how the face of the iguana demonstrated it liked the cleaning.
Walking along the island, we arrived to a small white beach where we saw a beautiful scene: a sea turtle resting besides a juvenile sea lion while on the nearby rocks a group of iguanas were watching the sky. This sounds very peaceful, you may think, but suddenly the iguanas began to run very fast and the whole place that was crowded before, was completely empty in a matter of seconds. A juvenile Galápagos hawk was trying to hunt an iguana, and in doing so, it destroyed the peace. It was a good lesson for us. Life is hard, including here in this paradise.
This day was amazing, not only for all the sightings but also because we were able to observe the innocence of all the creatures that live here. The lesson we received today will be remembered for all children and their families forever.
