Isabela and Fernandina

Today the northern Isabela volcanoes were surrounded by clouds. We had an early wake-up call and were greatly surprised by a big school of very tame long beaked common dolphins that did not swim away as we drew close to them. A short while after that we spotted a big school of Pilot Whales that was fishing and then resting at the surface of the water, the ship got closer to them and to our surprise they did not swim away. They were big males, females and a calf surrounding the ship, and if that wasn’t enough a school of bottlenose dolphins were bow riding with us – what an incredible start to the day on the northwestern side of the enchanted archipelago…

The nutrient rich waters surrounding northern Galápagos are green in color, also known as the upwelling, and they are responsible for the marine life that is normally found in the area. More than 34 Pacific green sea turtles in the water were not intimidated by our snorkelers who joined them to share the beautiful conditions of the water today. At least half a dozen different species of tropical fish also delighted us with their beautiful colors

As we sailed around this seahorse shaped island, we were greatly surprised by Darwin volcano, one of the five shield shaped formations that are known to be characteristic of oceanic islands. Isabela, or Albermarle, is a young formation, at around 500,000 years old, and it is a particularly interesting environment. Each of the five volcanoes here have their own endemic set of species that have evolved in isolation, the newly discovered pink iguana and the different species of giant tortoises are among the iconic creatures that have made the island their home.

Fernandina, unlike some of the other islands so far, has not been affected by introduced large species; it is considered within the two most pristine island ecosystems of the planet. The wildlife here, especially the marine iguanas (also known as the giant marine iguanas of the islands) were the most photographed of the afternoon. They are already displaying their mating colors and their aggressive behavior, mating season has started and the competition for females was quite high…

As we headed back on to the ship, less than being sad that the day was ending, we could feel the power of nature undisturbed…