Fernandina Island
WOW! Another day in paradise. Clear sunny skies and a breeze – six spectacular shield volcanoes in view at once. This morning we offered a hike/short panga ride or a longer panga ride at Punta Espinosa and had many takers for both options. Those who chose to go on shore had to watch their step for all the basking marine iguanas (see photo). They spotted an endemic snake, a constrictor that was cruising the lava flow searching in the cracks for hatchling iguanas or lava lizards. Cormorants dried their silly-looking, shaggy wings and fluttered their gular pouches in an attempt to cool off.
During both the short and extended panga rides we were entertained by “teenage” sea lions who obviously had so much energy they didn’t know what to do with themselves. They twisted and spun and leapt out of the water and followed our Zodiacs in playful gangs. We watched small groups of penguins, in trios or pairs, zip along under the water chasing inch long fish. And perhaps best of all, we enjoyed the peacefulness and the silence. Total quiet is almost a kind of magic, one that in our modern lives we rarely encounter. We turned off the outboard, stopped shooting pictures and drifted with the wind in a turquoise pool surrounded by jagged jet-black lava. The experience brought tears to the eyes of some – me included. Absolute tranquility is one of the secret joys one finds in Galapagos.
Then our guests went out snorkeling – they saw dozens of sea turtles, several feeding marine iguanas and a large marbled ray in the chilly nutrient rich waters off Fernandina. We have had all these experiences and seen so much … and it’s not even lunchtime yet!
WOW! Another day in paradise. Clear sunny skies and a breeze – six spectacular shield volcanoes in view at once. This morning we offered a hike/short panga ride or a longer panga ride at Punta Espinosa and had many takers for both options. Those who chose to go on shore had to watch their step for all the basking marine iguanas (see photo). They spotted an endemic snake, a constrictor that was cruising the lava flow searching in the cracks for hatchling iguanas or lava lizards. Cormorants dried their silly-looking, shaggy wings and fluttered their gular pouches in an attempt to cool off.
During both the short and extended panga rides we were entertained by “teenage” sea lions who obviously had so much energy they didn’t know what to do with themselves. They twisted and spun and leapt out of the water and followed our Zodiacs in playful gangs. We watched small groups of penguins, in trios or pairs, zip along under the water chasing inch long fish. And perhaps best of all, we enjoyed the peacefulness and the silence. Total quiet is almost a kind of magic, one that in our modern lives we rarely encounter. We turned off the outboard, stopped shooting pictures and drifted with the wind in a turquoise pool surrounded by jagged jet-black lava. The experience brought tears to the eyes of some – me included. Absolute tranquility is one of the secret joys one finds in Galapagos.
Then our guests went out snorkeling – they saw dozens of sea turtles, several feeding marine iguanas and a large marbled ray in the chilly nutrient rich waters off Fernandina. We have had all these experiences and seen so much … and it’s not even lunchtime yet!
