Fernandina Island
This morning we entered the western realm of the archipelago where the cool waters of the Cromwell Undercurrent collide against the Galapagos platform and upwell, thus bringing rich nutrients to the area. This is apparent in the greenish color of the waters around Isabela and Fernandina, and the abundant carpets of algae that coat the black lava rocks along the intertidal area. This means that this is an excellent area for sightings of marine life, in fact we saw a small pod of bottlenose dolphins early on, both species of endemic sea lions resident in the area, oceanic sunfish breaching, sharks and much more.
Piles of very large marine iguanas become apparent on a closer look at the black shoreline, the abundant algae supporting the largest colonies in Galapagos. Dozens of green sea turtles were also found in the area, grazing algae of the rocks and occasionally surfacing for a loud breath before resuming their feeding. After a Zodiac cruise exploring the bustling shoreline at Punta Vicente Roca, the water conditions were so spectacular we decided to move up our snorkeling outing, and join turtles and penguins in the water.
During lunch we lifted anchor and crossed the Bolivar Channel to Fernandina, the largest completely pristine island in the world. It is also the youngest island in the archipelago, so evidence of the active volcanic past is everywhere: in the tall shield-like profile of the volcano, in the stark aa and pahoehoe lava flows, in the lack of all but the real pioneer vegetation species.
It has been pretty difficult for life forms to both cross the impressive physical barriers to Galapagos, and to establish in an area as inhospitable as this. The creatures probably most suited to this task are the supremely well adapted sea birds, built to travel over huge distances at sea, and completely unbothered by the lack of fresh water. In fact, isolated islands devoid of predators, such as the Galapagos, are perfect homes for these magnificent creatures, amongst which are an endemic subspecies of the brown pelican ( Pelecanus occidentalis urinator). These inhabitants of the islands, the second largest sea birds here, never fail to amuse and astonish our guests, with their awkward gait, strange feeding method, and superior way of looking down their beaks at one.
This morning we entered the western realm of the archipelago where the cool waters of the Cromwell Undercurrent collide against the Galapagos platform and upwell, thus bringing rich nutrients to the area. This is apparent in the greenish color of the waters around Isabela and Fernandina, and the abundant carpets of algae that coat the black lava rocks along the intertidal area. This means that this is an excellent area for sightings of marine life, in fact we saw a small pod of bottlenose dolphins early on, both species of endemic sea lions resident in the area, oceanic sunfish breaching, sharks and much more.
Piles of very large marine iguanas become apparent on a closer look at the black shoreline, the abundant algae supporting the largest colonies in Galapagos. Dozens of green sea turtles were also found in the area, grazing algae of the rocks and occasionally surfacing for a loud breath before resuming their feeding. After a Zodiac cruise exploring the bustling shoreline at Punta Vicente Roca, the water conditions were so spectacular we decided to move up our snorkeling outing, and join turtles and penguins in the water.
During lunch we lifted anchor and crossed the Bolivar Channel to Fernandina, the largest completely pristine island in the world. It is also the youngest island in the archipelago, so evidence of the active volcanic past is everywhere: in the tall shield-like profile of the volcano, in the stark aa and pahoehoe lava flows, in the lack of all but the real pioneer vegetation species.
It has been pretty difficult for life forms to both cross the impressive physical barriers to Galapagos, and to establish in an area as inhospitable as this. The creatures probably most suited to this task are the supremely well adapted sea birds, built to travel over huge distances at sea, and completely unbothered by the lack of fresh water. In fact, isolated islands devoid of predators, such as the Galapagos, are perfect homes for these magnificent creatures, amongst which are an endemic subspecies of the brown pelican ( Pelecanus occidentalis urinator). These inhabitants of the islands, the second largest sea birds here, never fail to amuse and astonish our guests, with their awkward gait, strange feeding method, and superior way of looking down their beaks at one.
