Our day began early in the morning, just before sunrise, with an optional wakeup call to visit the sky deck to observe the gigantic volcanoes and sea life along Bolivar Channel that separates Isabela and Fernandina Islands. Navigating along the northern hemisphere with calm waters and chilly wind, our guests observed along the horizon trying to discover some kind of marine life. Our patience was rewarded with sightings of oceanic sunfish, mobula rays and more than a hundred common dolphins swimming no more than 90 feet from us, delighting our guests, who observed as the first beams of sun tried to illuminate the top of Ecuador volcano, which looked completely cloudy.
After breakfast, we headed to the bridge to observe and photograph the GPS just at the moment we cross the Equator line. Outside was completely foggy when the loud horn informed us the exactly moment when we crossed to the southern hemisphere, and did the limbo under the Ecuadorian flag, held for us. Few minutes later, the Captain dropped anchor along the foot of the gigantic Ecuador volcano at Punta Vicente Roca. We explored the shore of Isabela by Zodiacs, observing a great number of sea turtles swimming indifferently close to us, while on the rocks, flightless cormorants and penguins trying to dry out their wings after a very active morning trying to catch some fish.
Back on the ship again, we prepared our snorkeling gear and returned to the Zodiacs to snorkel. We discovered incredible sea life with a variety of wildlife like nowhere else in the world. Dozens of sea turtles swam and others, like rocks, rested on the bottom of the shallow water, stretching their fins while king angel fish cleaned their bodies, eating algae growth on their shells. If the tameness of those incredible reptiles was amazing, the Galapagos penguin did not fall behind. We observed a flock of them swimming like torpedoes chasing small salemas. After that, many of them (I think more than twelve) began to swim just beside of us, observing and trying to peck our masks curiously. Mobula rays, flightless cormorants, playful sea lions and colorful fish were the complement of this incredible and unique experience in the underwater world.
After lunch, I gave a human history talk, bringing up past events that changed Galapagos forever. Then as the afternoon cooled off we took the Zodiacs for a dry landing on the lava shores of Punta Espinosa, Fernandina Island. A great number of marine iguanas laid down on the rocks, tried to keep warm together as if preparing for a cold night, while behind them, along the sandy beach, a great number of female iguanas were digging nest holes, removing sand using their fore and hind limbs. Along the shallows, pup sea lions played, chasing each other, under the vigilant sight of a big male sea lion. We arrived to the flightless cormorant nesting area, observing as this fearless creature jumped from the water, walked a few steps and then stopped to dry their stumpy wings close to us, undeterred by our presence.
When we began to walk back to the ship a soft rain moistened the rocks, but it was no impediment to our observation along the shallows; sea turtles and horn sharks swam tranquilly along the orange waters illuminated with the last beams of sun of this beautiful day.
