Isabela and Fernandina Islands
Outstanding! This wonderfully superlative word was the one most commonly heard today. At the same time it summarizes the huge amount of sightings and feelings we all accumulated during our expedition today.
The western realms of the Galápagos Archipelago are truly spectacular. The impressive volcanic landscapes found there are breathtaking. The majestic geological formations add a mysterious and magical hale to the already fascinating unique wildlife found in these areas of the archipelago. Our early Zodiac cruise along the coast of Punta Vicente Roca on Isabela Island was unforgettable. Among the many highlights, one in particular was remarkable. We observed a Bryde’s whale (Balaneoptera edeni) just few feet away from the Zodiacs. The huge mammal was so close that we could hear its blowing sound loud and clear. Once on board, the extraordinary sightings continued, and while having lunch, a pod of orcas (Orcinus orca) was spotted. The pod of these beautiful cetaceans consisted in 8 individuals. Just when the adrenaline was at the top the unusual shape of the bizarre-looking sun fish (Mola mola) was seen from the outer decks. Exclamations of joy and surprise were heard everywhere for we saw the complete silhouette of this gigantic fish. These odd looking fish can reach enormous sizes both in weight and in diameter. The current world record for a sunfish is 10 feet in diameter and 5.072 pounds!
The afternoon brought us more wonderful surprises. Fernandina, the youngest island of the group, is a very special one. It is considered to be the jewel in the crown of the Galápagos. Big groups of iguanas were everywhere to be seen in this place. Flightless cormorants are nesting at this time of the year, and we got to observe how solicitous a couple of cormorant parents were while feeding their chick. The little bird was only a couple of days old. This scene was not only spectacular but touching. An intense sunset marked the end of an unforgettable day in this paradise. A day that made all of our nature-loving guests felt first hand the exquisite sense of discovery and wonder.
Outstanding! This wonderfully superlative word was the one most commonly heard today. At the same time it summarizes the huge amount of sightings and feelings we all accumulated during our expedition today.
The western realms of the Galápagos Archipelago are truly spectacular. The impressive volcanic landscapes found there are breathtaking. The majestic geological formations add a mysterious and magical hale to the already fascinating unique wildlife found in these areas of the archipelago. Our early Zodiac cruise along the coast of Punta Vicente Roca on Isabela Island was unforgettable. Among the many highlights, one in particular was remarkable. We observed a Bryde’s whale (Balaneoptera edeni) just few feet away from the Zodiacs. The huge mammal was so close that we could hear its blowing sound loud and clear. Once on board, the extraordinary sightings continued, and while having lunch, a pod of orcas (Orcinus orca) was spotted. The pod of these beautiful cetaceans consisted in 8 individuals. Just when the adrenaline was at the top the unusual shape of the bizarre-looking sun fish (Mola mola) was seen from the outer decks. Exclamations of joy and surprise were heard everywhere for we saw the complete silhouette of this gigantic fish. These odd looking fish can reach enormous sizes both in weight and in diameter. The current world record for a sunfish is 10 feet in diameter and 5.072 pounds!
The afternoon brought us more wonderful surprises. Fernandina, the youngest island of the group, is a very special one. It is considered to be the jewel in the crown of the Galápagos. Big groups of iguanas were everywhere to be seen in this place. Flightless cormorants are nesting at this time of the year, and we got to observe how solicitous a couple of cormorant parents were while feeding their chick. The little bird was only a couple of days old. This scene was not only spectacular but touching. An intense sunset marked the end of an unforgettable day in this paradise. A day that made all of our nature-loving guests felt first hand the exquisite sense of discovery and wonder.
