Isabela & Fernandina Island
What a wonderful day we had today!
Early in the morning we found ourselves navigating in the Northern Hemisphere towards the western part of the archipelago – Isabela and Fernandina Islands were our destinations.
We approached the equator and our Captain Pablo Garces slowed down as we reached 0 degrees latitude. We gathered on the bridge and “crossed” into the Southern Hemisphere together. We also crossed under a banner as a limbo line and soon afterward our Expedition Leader Carlos Romero presented a certificated signed by the captain – making our passage official. We had a blast while surrounded by volcanoes as we were headed to our first destination of the day, Isabela Island.
We reached Punta Vicente Roca for our Zodiac ride which allowed us to view a variety of wildlife by the shoreline. We observed Galápagos penguins, flightless cormorants, sea lions, sea turtles and a large number of marine iguanas, all of them, against a majestic volcanic background.
Back onboard we got ready for a deep water snorkeling outing and were immediately surrounded by an impressive number of Pacific green turtles, sea lions, many species of fish and even birds “flying” underwater like penguins and cormorants. Today water visibility and calmness were outstanding. Even heading back on board we spotted a significant number of fins above the water, many were Giant sunfishes (Mola mola) while at least one was a hammerhead shark.
During lunch the Captain repositioned National Geographic Islander near Fernandina, and soon after we had an optional presentation about Charles Darwin and his theory of natural selection.
Fernandina Island is one of the few pristine tropical places on the planet; no animals have been introduced to this island. The ecology is so unique that it becomes a site almost impossible to describe: brand new lava flows covered with brightly colored marine iguanas in colors while the breeding season is taking place. Wildlife was evident in huge numbers; flightless cormorants with a dark and mysterious look, the ever present sea lions, bright red crabs, rough lava shoreline, gentle breeze, co-existence but also isolation.
We returned to National Geographic Islander for our recap of the day. Soon after dinner, we had a taste of Ecuadorian liquors. Today we were surrounded by calm waters on a peaceful night.
At dinner I saw camaraderie, our guests having a great time. We are at the peak of our expedition and we have bonded through coexistence and love for this wonderful place called Galápagos, a place unrivaled and unique on our planet Earth.
Tomorrow we will have another dreamlike day. I can’t wait to share it with you my dear reader.
