Having sailed overnight north through the Bolivar Channel and crossed the equator, the Polaris rounded the northern tip of Isabela Island, dominated by the Wolf Volcano, and turned south again towards Fernandina. This island is one of the most pristine in the world, uninhabited and free of introduced species. Even before arriving, however, we had experienced a morning of superlatives. Before breakfast a large school of 100 to 200 scarcely seen striped dolphins approached the ship, treating everyone to 15 minutes of aerial acrobatics. We also had views at this time, and later in the day, of the endangered endemic Galapagos petrel. After sustenance, we turned north again and crossed the equator for a third time to view the blown-out caldera of the Ecuador Volcano in N.W. Isabela. Zodiac rides treated groups to views of the lava cliffs inhabited by more endemics: Galapagos fur seals, swallow-tailed gulls, and the flightless cormorant—the largest and only flightless cormorant species in the world. While returning to the Polaris, the zodiacs encountered at least two of the extraordinary ocean sunfish Mola mola, and were able to view these slow-swimming leviathans at close range. Mola mola is another record-breaker: the largest bony fish in the world, reaching as much as 2 tons in weight, and like its turtle counterpart, the leatherback, subsisting largely on a diet of jellyfish! The Polaris passed several more in the course of the day.
Another very large school of dolphins—this time common dolphins—approached us before lunch and gave brief company. As they parted, we crossed the equator for the 4th time and King Neptune came aboard, tyrannizing the guests with a band of pirates and at least one aberrant siren. Eventually the king was appeased with youthful gifts, pirates were overcome, and we took leave for lunch.
In the afternoon we explored Punta Espinoza in the N.E. corner of Fernandina. Shallow snorkeling afforded play with sea lions, close watches of green turtles, and Rafael collected some spectacular underwater footage of these and the flightless cormorants. During the remaining daylight, we ventured ashore and experienced the rare privilege of an ecosystem essentially unaltered in thousands of years. As we traversed the black, ropey lava, sea lions, marine iguanas, lava lizards, nesting flightless cormorants, and Galapagos penguins, all allowed us into their world, some curious, some indifferent, but leaving people in quiet awe as the parties ventured back at sundown.
