Isabela Island

Early in the morning we sailed through Bolivar channel to our next site, Urvina Bay, named after our earlier Ecuadorian president. This site is surreal, a platform which was underwater for many years up until 1954 when a magmatic pressure raised this floor above sea level and therefore trapped sea life which were then dehydrated by our scorching hot sun. Lobsters, fishes (different species of fish), turtles, and barnacles were bleached to a bright lifeless white.

I imagine this was, to the first people who saw it, extraordinary. Today after 5 decades, some invertebrates still remain clinging onto the rocks as a reminder of this ever-changing world. New flora and fauna have moved into this new ground, like the Galápagos cotton, cordia, bushes and shrubs from different families. Land iguanas, birds, and even hermit crabs now call this place home. And here we are among them witnessing this new way of adaptation.

Soon after, we had a pleasurable time at the beach with our families as the sun shone on the islands. Back onboard as we continued to our next destination, a succulent lunch made our chefs proud of their talented cuisine skills.

Another impressive lecture was presented by Jim Costa from Harvard Museum of Natural History, which enriched our expedition, a journey of discovery with a new “set of eyes” to nourish our minds.

In the afternoon we arrived to Punta Moreno. Personally, it was like setting a foot on another planet, miles on end of liquid molten lava frozen in time for us to walk on “a poetry of lava under our feet.” This is a landscape only a few are lucky to see, to admire, and to feel.

Today our guests saw flamingos. As a contrast to the pink birds, green plants, brown and black lava, blues sky and a dark ocean also reached our senses. We felt the breeze as the sun slowly took its warm gentle touch away as it set on the horizon.

This place gives you a sense of solitude, isolation at its best; it transports you back in time to the beginning of it all. This place makes you wonder in communion with earth’s power. We saw a volcano, and we marveled at its mighty presence.

Back onboard we continued with our expedition. Our journey has just reached its peak. Now we are headed for the eastern part of the archipelago. Our guests have earned their sailor stripes and we have become connected with nature.

I wish you were here my dear reader. We can’t wait for what’s coming next.