Isabela & Fernandina Island

Today was simply unforgettable. We began with a Zodiac cruise along Punta Vicente Rock, at the north side of Isabela. Five minutes had not passed, when Graciela, another Naturalist, called us by radio to inform us that they had seen a whale not far from where we were. We began our search south of Isabela when suddenly a gigantic blue whale was spotted swimming in front of us. We were able to experience just how impressive these beautiful sea mammals are when we watched it surface. It splashed an immense column of water into the air, as if inviting to us to follow it. At first we thought that it was a humpback whale, but once we carefully analyzed the length and shape of its tail, we were sure that it was actually a blue whale. We were very lucky, because it is not common to have contact with this beautiful animal. For all of us, it was a unique experience.

We were so engrossed in watching the whale that we almost didn’t notice when the caudal fin of another beautiful marine creature appeared beside the Zodiac. We had accidently come upon a Mola mola (or sunfish) swimming pacifically next to our Zodiac. Thankfully the sea was calm and transparent, allowing us the rare opportunity to fully admire its flat body. Then, another five Mola molas appeared in front of us, as if to prove they were as beautiful as the whales.

The Zodiac ride continued in front of the collapsed Ecuador volcano where we could admire its gigantic and magnificent volcanic formation. We saw rare black lines or diques throughout the reddish rocks that comprise the volcano. Diques are evidence of how magma trying to escape to the surface. They penetrate between the fissures of rock and solidify. We continued north where we saw a juvenile Galápagos penguin swimming calmly next to our Zodiac. We also saw a group of different size marine iguanas feeding on the rocks, not paying any attention to a Galápagos hawk flying from rock to rock searching for food. We finished this beautiful morning snorkeling in the transparent waters, surrounded everywhere by marine turtles; juveniles, males and females swimming next to us without hesitation, it was really a wonderful experience.

In the afternoon, we anchored in front at Punta Espinoza, Fernandina Island. We disembark on the small dock where the land was uplifted years ago making it impossible to land in low tides. A few meters from here, we observed a group of marine iguanas warming their bodies on black rocks, some of them embraced each other as if demonstrating feelings of love, but that was far from the truth. Marine iguanas assume that position because they need the heat from their bodies to keep warm. We walked along a blackish lava flow and saw lava cacti surviving in this complex environment. We saw a group of flightless cormorants drying their short wings on the rocks. All the guests were very interested in this island, so we walked along the longest path. We came back just before the sunset tired but happy, because today simply was an unforgettable day.