Northern Isabela and Fernandina Islands
An optional early wake up call summoned us to the bridge deck this morning to witness our cruising along the northernmost volcanoes of Isabela Island, where we were teased by elusive whale spouts until reaching the equator line. Once crossing this famous latitude back into the southern hemisphere, a highlight in and of itself, we approached the exposed caldera of the huge Ecuador Volcano, learning about the geology of the area amidst cries of “an oceanic sunfish!” “Yet another oceanic sunfish!” And so on, until we counted at least 10 of these strange creatures, previously unknown to most of us.
We went down to breakfast while dropping anchor in a geologically spectacular area named Punta Vicente Roca, where we lowered our expedition fleet, Zodiacs and kayaks, to explore this fascinating area. During this time we came across species unique to the western archipelago, such as the sunfish and the bizarre-looking flightless cormorants, as well as myriad sea turtles, marine iguanas and penguins, all thriving in the nutrient-rich waters of the area.
The afternoon could not have had a better start. Just as we prepared to explore another island, Fernandina, the most pristine island in Galápagos, we received exciting news from the bridge: whales feeding off our bow! We quickly boarded our fleet of Zodiacs and set off to observe several of these magnificent creatures, identified as Bryde’s whales and at least one other species (possibly a Sei whale), as they spy-hopped and lunged sideways filling their mouths with water so the pleats lining their throats expanded to amazing degrees. It was so much fun seeing parts of these whales that we usually do not get to see, as they seldom show more than a glimpse of back and dorsal fin!
Our exploration of the area continued by foot and Zodiac and revealed many more delightful surprises such as nesting and courting cormorants, as well as penguins and their young! In fact, for many of us working here in the Galápagos it was the first time to see a penguin chick this young and still downy! It must have been the lucky charm of having penguin expert Dee Boersma on board with us for the week…
An optional early wake up call summoned us to the bridge deck this morning to witness our cruising along the northernmost volcanoes of Isabela Island, where we were teased by elusive whale spouts until reaching the equator line. Once crossing this famous latitude back into the southern hemisphere, a highlight in and of itself, we approached the exposed caldera of the huge Ecuador Volcano, learning about the geology of the area amidst cries of “an oceanic sunfish!” “Yet another oceanic sunfish!” And so on, until we counted at least 10 of these strange creatures, previously unknown to most of us.
We went down to breakfast while dropping anchor in a geologically spectacular area named Punta Vicente Roca, where we lowered our expedition fleet, Zodiacs and kayaks, to explore this fascinating area. During this time we came across species unique to the western archipelago, such as the sunfish and the bizarre-looking flightless cormorants, as well as myriad sea turtles, marine iguanas and penguins, all thriving in the nutrient-rich waters of the area.
The afternoon could not have had a better start. Just as we prepared to explore another island, Fernandina, the most pristine island in Galápagos, we received exciting news from the bridge: whales feeding off our bow! We quickly boarded our fleet of Zodiacs and set off to observe several of these magnificent creatures, identified as Bryde’s whales and at least one other species (possibly a Sei whale), as they spy-hopped and lunged sideways filling their mouths with water so the pleats lining their throats expanded to amazing degrees. It was so much fun seeing parts of these whales that we usually do not get to see, as they seldom show more than a glimpse of back and dorsal fin!
Our exploration of the area continued by foot and Zodiac and revealed many more delightful surprises such as nesting and courting cormorants, as well as penguins and their young! In fact, for many of us working here in the Galápagos it was the first time to see a penguin chick this young and still downy! It must have been the lucky charm of having penguin expert Dee Boersma on board with us for the week…
