Isabela & Fernandina Islands
It is hard to have an idea about the silhouette of a shield volcano, or its colours, until one gets to see it; it is hard to describe the sounds of birds, of water through particular fissures, until one closes the eyes and listens. It is hard to understand what pristine really means, until one is exposed to the pureness of a place uninhabited by humans, with its original creatures living in complete balance. Today we understood the shapes of young volcanoes, the sounds of nature, its wholeness: the essence of Galápagos. Today we visited Isabela and Fernandina Islands.
The mild light of the sun on our faces was nice, and in combination with the marine breeze, it made us feel like seabirds when they soar above their vast domain, the ocean. In the direction of Isabela Island, while leaving behind a whaler’s famous tip of a volcano called “Roca Redonda,” we spotted the spout of a whale. We decided to head in that direction expecting to see it closer. For some of our guests, it was the first time they saw a whale, and for all of us it was an adventure that enhanced our Galápagos experience. We identified it as a “Bryde’s whale,” or tropical whale, a very elusive creature found mostly in the tropics.
Once we arrived to the island of Isabela and got to see the impressive geological features that Vincent Rock Point exposes to the dream-like landscape, we imagined ourselves in the middle of giant titans’ cliffs holding us with a fresh breeze. This is one of the most spectacular places! It was unbelievable to see those strange looking fish, Mola mola, during the Zodiac ride. Later on, the snorkeling experience was astonishing as well.
The National Geographic Polaris weighed its anchor to continue to its next destination, Fernandina Island, a place forgotten by time, a pristine island which has no introduced animals. We walked along dark lava rocks frozen like river and mud flows, and as we hiked, we discovered places covered by marine iguanas. They did not move at all, so we had to be very conscious about where to step. Fernandina’s impressive volcano shone under a perfectly blue sky.
It is hard to have an idea about the silhouette of a shield volcano, or its colours, until one gets to see it; it is hard to describe the sounds of birds, of water through particular fissures, until one closes the eyes and listens. It is hard to understand what pristine really means, until one is exposed to the pureness of a place uninhabited by humans, with its original creatures living in complete balance. Today we understood the shapes of young volcanoes, the sounds of nature, its wholeness: the essence of Galápagos. Today we visited Isabela and Fernandina Islands.
The mild light of the sun on our faces was nice, and in combination with the marine breeze, it made us feel like seabirds when they soar above their vast domain, the ocean. In the direction of Isabela Island, while leaving behind a whaler’s famous tip of a volcano called “Roca Redonda,” we spotted the spout of a whale. We decided to head in that direction expecting to see it closer. For some of our guests, it was the first time they saw a whale, and for all of us it was an adventure that enhanced our Galápagos experience. We identified it as a “Bryde’s whale,” or tropical whale, a very elusive creature found mostly in the tropics.
Once we arrived to the island of Isabela and got to see the impressive geological features that Vincent Rock Point exposes to the dream-like landscape, we imagined ourselves in the middle of giant titans’ cliffs holding us with a fresh breeze. This is one of the most spectacular places! It was unbelievable to see those strange looking fish, Mola mola, during the Zodiac ride. Later on, the snorkeling experience was astonishing as well.
The National Geographic Polaris weighed its anchor to continue to its next destination, Fernandina Island, a place forgotten by time, a pristine island which has no introduced animals. We walked along dark lava rocks frozen like river and mud flows, and as we hiked, we discovered places covered by marine iguanas. They did not move at all, so we had to be very conscious about where to step. Fernandina’s impressive volcano shone under a perfectly blue sky.
