Isabela & Fernandina Islands
We often refer to these two islands as the ones born from fire; they both are the youngest in the archipelago therefore very volcanically active. Even though Isabela and Fernandina are geologically very new, they are full of several species that have successfully made it even in the worst of the adversities. The shape of the islands on the distance revealed a shield shape silhouettes all over the horizon, and the dramatic flanks of lava were adorned with the white foam left from the sea splashing at the coastline. Strong water upwells provides the right kind of food for marine mammals to become abundant in this area, and that is why a pod of dolphins was found during our afternoon navigation.
Part of our morning was dedicated to look for the enigmatic ocean sunfish also known as Mola mola, and fortunately we found several of them just a few hundred yards off the coastline. Most of them were hanging on the surface, almost as if they have been waiting for us to find them!
This is also the only region in the Galápagos were you could find two species of flightless sea birds together, the Galápagos penguins and the flightless cormorants. This sighting along with dozens of green sea turtles and a humongous manta ray surprised our guests gladly!
Our afternoon outing was scheduled on Fernandina Island, one of the most pristine islands in the world. We explored the shorelines and got to observe the amazing adaptations of marine iguanas, as well as lava lizards, Galápagos sea lions and penguins. Once back on board the Polaris, a sample of plankton was collected to be observed through our stereo-microscope during recap. It was overall a dream-like day!
