Fernandina and Isabela Islands
Today we arrived very early in the morning to the western side of the archipelago. We had a nice sunny morning, very clear skies, and warm air temperature. After circumnavigating “Roca Redonda” we sailed towards Isabela Island and crossed the Equator line. We observed Volcan Ecuador with interest because it collapsed long ago and now we can easily see its caldera floor, and many of its geological features.
Our Zodiac ride along the coast of Punta Vicente Roca was very rewarding because we found penguins, sea lions, blue-footed boobies, marine iguanas, sunfish, and many Pacific green sea turtles. Later in the afternoon, some snorkeled in the protected pools of Fernandina Island.
The afternoon excursion took us to the northeastern side of Fernandina to a place known as Punta Espinoza. This is one of those magical places were there is a high concentration of wild life. We spent our time looking at and enjoying the company of many of the creatures that inhabit this area. In particular we had a most wonderful time watching the Galápagos sea lions. The tide was quite high, the beaches were small and they were all looking for a nice warm spot on the sand. Meanwhile several incredibly big males were patrolling their territories.
Punta Espinoza was uplifted in the 70’s due to volcanic activity. This island is the “jewel” of the Galápagos National Park because of the lack of introduced predators. We reluctantly left the island and the entertaining sea lions to return to the ship where we had a delightful evening.
Today we arrived very early in the morning to the western side of the archipelago. We had a nice sunny morning, very clear skies, and warm air temperature. After circumnavigating “Roca Redonda” we sailed towards Isabela Island and crossed the Equator line. We observed Volcan Ecuador with interest because it collapsed long ago and now we can easily see its caldera floor, and many of its geological features.
Our Zodiac ride along the coast of Punta Vicente Roca was very rewarding because we found penguins, sea lions, blue-footed boobies, marine iguanas, sunfish, and many Pacific green sea turtles. Later in the afternoon, some snorkeled in the protected pools of Fernandina Island.
The afternoon excursion took us to the northeastern side of Fernandina to a place known as Punta Espinoza. This is one of those magical places were there is a high concentration of wild life. We spent our time looking at and enjoying the company of many of the creatures that inhabit this area. In particular we had a most wonderful time watching the Galápagos sea lions. The tide was quite high, the beaches were small and they were all looking for a nice warm spot on the sand. Meanwhile several incredibly big males were patrolling their territories.
Punta Espinoza was uplifted in the 70’s due to volcanic activity. This island is the “jewel” of the Galápagos National Park because of the lack of introduced predators. We reluctantly left the island and the entertaining sea lions to return to the ship where we had a delightful evening.
