Southern Isabela Island

What a wonderful day we had today!

In the morning we woke up in Urbina Bay for our visit to the largest of all Galápagos Islands, Isabela. We were in the southwestern part of the archipelago, and we disembarked on a platform which had been underwater for many years. One day in the year 1954, a magmatic pressure uplifted this underwater realm to reveal an impressive ecology to the sun. Today we searched for land iguanas and coral heads. It sounds hard to believe but this is the only place to have such a duality. Today the sky was blue and the sun shone, and while walking along the coastline we felt a comforting breeze we took for granted. Then we started walking inland. We lost the breeze in certain places and felt hot and as we continued on the trail, we realized this is a very tough place to colonize, live, and to protect. Today we had a taste of what the National Park rangers do in order to protect such a wonderful place for humankind by patrolling and eradicating invasive species. We saw land iguanas, a giant tortoise, different lava formations and many species of plants and birds. At the end of the walk there was a reward waiting for us at the beach, a cool ocean to enjoy. It felt like heaven and some guests mentioned it was a highlight.

Back aboard we had lunch and, soon after, an impressive presentation about the Amazon from our fellow visiting colleagues Luis Vela & Javier Arbildo a taste for our new Upper Amazon jungle operation in Iquitos – Peru; all these while our Captain repositioned the ship for our next site.

On Punta Moreno, we saw an impressive array of lava formations of different kinds, colors and textures, some smooth like boulders and others sharp as a razor. We had a choice to ride along the coast or to go for a walk searching for flamingos. Isolation, silence, breeze, warmth and colors – all taken in. The seasons are changing. It is nearly time for rain, time for chlorophyll and all creatures which depend on it. Our cormorants, iguanas, sea lions, and seabirds are taking the last bite of this overwhelming feast which is coming to an end.

We headed back to the ship as the sun set with a gradient of hues. The ocean calls us for a new adventure, the stars welcome the night. Tomorrow will be another impressive day in the “Enchanted Islands.”