Isabela & Fernandina Islands
The day started with a beautiful view of volcanoes on our left, and the calm water looking like a glassy blanket with petrels and shear water birds picking up bits and pieces of food from the surface. The sun showed its brilliant rays through the clouds at six, and soon after a painting in motion appeared in front of our eyes.
After breakfast, our captain invited us to the bridge to see the GPS marking our arrival to the Equator Line. The ritual was done so everyone was entitled to be called a “Galapagos Shellback.” A Zodiac ride was our next activity, with landscapes of tuff cones, lava flows and dikes giving us a better understanding of how volcanic islands came to life.
The ocean showed us some of its living species. The flightless cormorants, penguins, sun fish and several huge manta rays shared a glimpse of nature in this morning in paradise. After lunch, the National Geographic Islander traveled to Punta Espinosa on Fernandina Island. On our way there, we listened to a very interesting talk on Charles Darwin by Biologist Jim Costa.
Our dry landing came without a siesta. The largest of all marine iguanas were the welcome committee. They displayed their well-adapted behavior to regulate their temperature and get rid of the extra salt.
The walk through the red and white mangroves provided some shade which was well appreciated at three thirty in the afternoon. We saw a couple of Orca whales feeding, a Galápagos hawk chasing some of the baby marine iguanas, sea lions nursing their young, and turtles in the tide pools.
To walk on the most pristine island on earth triggers something in us that makes us realize how fragile, intense and wonderful this world is.
