Isabela and Fernandina Islands
As Expedition Leader, every evening I get to brief our guests about the following days activities and I often get teased about insisting everyday is special and one of my favourites. But if I really had to choose one amongst the many amazing places we visit, it would most definitely be the westernmost islands.
There are so many things that make this part of Galapagos special. The islands here are situated right upon a very active hotspot, so are extremely young, geologically speaking. We can admire here the beginnings of the archipelago and the evident volcanic activity that formed it: tall shield volcanoes, hundreds of parasitic cone, pahoehoe lava flows and much more. Not only that, but also the cold and rich Cromwell Undercurrent hits the edge of the Galapagos platform in this area, and brings incredibly nutrient-rich waters to the area. The nutrients foment abundant phytoplankton and algal growth, the basis of a diverse marine web of life that includes many species of fish, reptiles and mammals.
Amongst the species we spotted today were spotted-eagle and golden rays, oceanic sunfish, hundreds of green Pacific turtles, sea lions and even cetaceans. The greatest highlight of the day occurred before breakfast, when we were all on deck to witness the crossing of the equator line and the coastal navigation of the subsided caldera of Ecuador Volcano. As our shipboard geologist, Paula, tried to tell us more about the geology of the area, she was suddenly interrupted by a great cry: orca at 11 o’clock (following a well-used method of directing observers attention to a particular area)!!!
We all rushed to the bow, only to witness a large, shiny black body with an immense, disproportionate, dorsal fin leap out of the blue waters. It was unmistakably a male killer whale, feeding on what appeared to be a large manta ray: what a show. This beautiful creature would disappear just long enough for Paula to resume her geology talk when he would suddenly breach out of the waters again. This happened so regularly that she became known as “whale chum” and was encouraged to continue with her fascinating talk so we could catch another glimpse of our majestic companion.
We ended up not learning as much about geology as we would have liked, but who was complaining? It became a memory we would forever carry with us, and for me personally yet another unforgettable Galapagos experience. I feel truly blessed to be in the position to share this magic with all my wonderful fellow adventurers.
The magic of the day continued with a large school of acrobatic common dolphins, followed by hikes and Zodiac cruises among penguins, flightless cormorant, iguanas, turtles, herons, oystercatchers, lava flows, mangroves and lava cacti – need I say more?
As Expedition Leader, every evening I get to brief our guests about the following days activities and I often get teased about insisting everyday is special and one of my favourites. But if I really had to choose one amongst the many amazing places we visit, it would most definitely be the westernmost islands.
There are so many things that make this part of Galapagos special. The islands here are situated right upon a very active hotspot, so are extremely young, geologically speaking. We can admire here the beginnings of the archipelago and the evident volcanic activity that formed it: tall shield volcanoes, hundreds of parasitic cone, pahoehoe lava flows and much more. Not only that, but also the cold and rich Cromwell Undercurrent hits the edge of the Galapagos platform in this area, and brings incredibly nutrient-rich waters to the area. The nutrients foment abundant phytoplankton and algal growth, the basis of a diverse marine web of life that includes many species of fish, reptiles and mammals.
Amongst the species we spotted today were spotted-eagle and golden rays, oceanic sunfish, hundreds of green Pacific turtles, sea lions and even cetaceans. The greatest highlight of the day occurred before breakfast, when we were all on deck to witness the crossing of the equator line and the coastal navigation of the subsided caldera of Ecuador Volcano. As our shipboard geologist, Paula, tried to tell us more about the geology of the area, she was suddenly interrupted by a great cry: orca at 11 o’clock (following a well-used method of directing observers attention to a particular area)!!!
We all rushed to the bow, only to witness a large, shiny black body with an immense, disproportionate, dorsal fin leap out of the blue waters. It was unmistakably a male killer whale, feeding on what appeared to be a large manta ray: what a show. This beautiful creature would disappear just long enough for Paula to resume her geology talk when he would suddenly breach out of the waters again. This happened so regularly that she became known as “whale chum” and was encouraged to continue with her fascinating talk so we could catch another glimpse of our majestic companion.
We ended up not learning as much about geology as we would have liked, but who was complaining? It became a memory we would forever carry with us, and for me personally yet another unforgettable Galapagos experience. I feel truly blessed to be in the position to share this magic with all my wonderful fellow adventurers.
The magic of the day continued with a large school of acrobatic common dolphins, followed by hikes and Zodiac cruises among penguins, flightless cormorant, iguanas, turtles, herons, oystercatchers, lava flows, mangroves and lava cacti – need I say more?
