Isabela & Fernandina Islands
Today we had one of those days that will be hard to forget, not that we want to ever forget any of the days that we are spending among these incredible islands.
It was not even six in the morning when I got the call from naturalist Ernesto Vaca, who has always been the extra eyes for the bridge crew, when it comes to finding marine mammals during our navigation.
I grabbed my camera and quickly headed to the bridge deck where I made a general announcement for the guests. It took very little time for the deck to be filled with guests, and to my surprise, most of the younger guests on board decided to join us too. I knew we would have a great day, and indeed we got it!
To begin with, a group of at least three hundred dolphins were traveling along with the ship, some of them showing their magnificent pirouettes that they are famous for. Timing could not be better, as everything happened just before breakfast! Minutes before breakfast was announced, we encountered perhaps the highlight of the day, a sperm whale! It was fantastic to see this really huge mammal just floating on the ocean, performing what is known as “logging”.
As we got closer, the whale stayed for a long while before it retreated to the deep ocean, not before showing the immense fluke that they are so famous for.
As soon as we were done with our early meal, it was announced that we were in close proximity to the famous equator line, which we all crossed with the blessings of King Neptune.
As for our morning visit, the Zodiac cruise and later on snorkeling off the shores of Punta Vicente Roca were fabulous! Penguins, sea lions, giant sunfish and flightless cormorants were observed from the Zodiac and during the snorkeling; in addition, tons of sea turtles were found at the bay were snorkeling took place, it was simply great!
Later on, the afternoon at Fernandina Island was so peaceful and eventful at the same time. There was so much going on in terms of animal interactions, but the whole atmosphere felt very relaxed and quiet. It was great to see every species that we have seen so far, share the same ecosystem.
As we left the island, the sunset behind us gave us the perfect closure that we needed for such a wonderful day in the Galápagos!
