Isabela and Fernandina
What an amazing day! Lynn Fowler woke us up early to see the thousands of birds on and around Roca Redonda. It was not long before we saw bottle-nosed dolphins at the bow and shortly after, as we navigated towards Volcan Ecuador and the equator line, we saw four Cuvier’s beaked whales – a rare and special sight. We crossed the equator with its usual bump and then went for a panga ride and snorkel around Punta Vicente Roca. The sea was relatively calm and we saw swimming iguanas, flightless cormorants, blue-footed boobies as well as many green sea turtles, an ocean sunfish (mola mola), hammerhead sharks, and two manta rays. While snorkeling we saw dozens of sea turtles, a huge school of bonito and a group of feeding mustard rays. We were so busy snorkeling that we were back late for a delicious lunch, which was interrupted by a pod of 40 or more short-finned pilot whales! As we navigated towards Fernandina we spotted a sperm whale spouting and then diving.
At Punta Espinosa the treats continued. We began with a panga ride where we saw penguins, cormorants and blue-footed boobies. We landed with a high tide and were immediately faced with piles of large marine iguanas. On the beach marine iguanas were digging and defending their nests and young male sea lions were fighting playfully. At the point we saw 17 flightless cormorants including one on a nest. I have never seen as many cormorants in the dozens of visits I have made to this magnificent spot.
What an amazing day! Lynn Fowler woke us up early to see the thousands of birds on and around Roca Redonda. It was not long before we saw bottle-nosed dolphins at the bow and shortly after, as we navigated towards Volcan Ecuador and the equator line, we saw four Cuvier’s beaked whales – a rare and special sight. We crossed the equator with its usual bump and then went for a panga ride and snorkel around Punta Vicente Roca. The sea was relatively calm and we saw swimming iguanas, flightless cormorants, blue-footed boobies as well as many green sea turtles, an ocean sunfish (mola mola), hammerhead sharks, and two manta rays. While snorkeling we saw dozens of sea turtles, a huge school of bonito and a group of feeding mustard rays. We were so busy snorkeling that we were back late for a delicious lunch, which was interrupted by a pod of 40 or more short-finned pilot whales! As we navigated towards Fernandina we spotted a sperm whale spouting and then diving.
At Punta Espinosa the treats continued. We began with a panga ride where we saw penguins, cormorants and blue-footed boobies. We landed with a high tide and were immediately faced with piles of large marine iguanas. On the beach marine iguanas were digging and defending their nests and young male sea lions were fighting playfully. At the point we saw 17 flightless cormorants including one on a nest. I have never seen as many cormorants in the dozens of visits I have made to this magnificent spot.
