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 on our way to Isabela and Fernandina Islands.
We approached the equator and our Captain John Zurita slowed down as we reached the equatorial line. We crowded around our GPS on the bridge and watched as we “crossed” into the Southern Hemisphere together.
We reached Punta Vicente Roca for our Zodiac cruise, 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 on board we prepared for a deep water snorkeling outing among 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, and water temperature was in the mid-seventies.
During lunch the Captain repositioned National Geographic Islander near Fernandina, and soon while on the way, our team spotted a Bryde’s whale. All of us got to see this impressive leviathan from the abysm.
Fernandina Island is one of the few pristine 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 marine iguanas, lightless cormorants, Galápagos hawks feeding on a marine iguana with a dark and mysterious look, the ever present sea lions, bright red crabs, and rough lava shoreline, among many others.
We returned to the ship as the sunset 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 fellowship, our guests having a great time, laughter, conversation and friendship. 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 Earth.
Tomorrow we will have another dreamlike day. I can’t wait to share it with you my dear reader.
