Isabela & Fernandina, 9/14/2021, National Geographic Islander
Aboard the
National Geographic Islander
Galápagos
Today we woke up in the western realm of the Galapagos Islands. We rose with the sun in search of cetaceans and after breakfast, we had the exciting moment of crossing the equator! Our morning adventure started in the ocean with a breathtaking Zodiac ride along one of the five volcanoes that forms Isabela Island. We had wildlife encounters with the famous Galapagos penguin, the only flightless cormorant in the world, and many playful sea lions. We took the adventure closer to the water and went for a snorkeling session with sea turtles, marine iguanas feeding on seaweed, more penguins and sea lions!
Our afternoon adventure took place at the youngest island of this enchanted archipelago, Fernandina Island. This island is home to thousands of marine iguanas that congregate on the black lava fields to warm up after long feeding sessions in the cold nutrient-rich waters of the Galapagos. Today was another magical day in paradise!
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We are halfway through our expedition aboard National Geographic Islander , and today we visited two different islands in the Galapagos. In the morning, we explored the shores of Chinese Hat by Zodiac, kayak, and snorkeling. We found amazing wildlife, like penguins, Galapagos hawks, sea lions, and more. Midday, National Geographic Islander moved location to a place called Sullivan Bay, where we explored one of the largest eruptions in the Galapagos in the last 200 years.
We spent the morning on the small island of South Plaza. We were welcomed by Galapagos sea lions; females and pups were all around the landing place. There are a good number of Galapagos land iguanas on South Plaza, and we observed them underneath the prickly pear cacti along the trail. As we walked by the cliffs, we saw many seabirds flying, such as swallow-tailed gulls, Galapagos shearwaters, brown pelicans, magnificent frigatebirds, and red-billed tropicbirds. It is a challenge for photographers to get pictures of birds in flight; however, with the right settings and patience, it is always possible! The afternoon was spent at the island of Santa Fe. Here we enjoyed kayaking and snorkeling inside the protected bay, a great place for colorful fish and playful Galapagos sea lions. We ended the day with a great hike. We observed huge prickly pear cacti, Santa Fe land iguanas, and hundreds of sea lions on a white sandy beach. It was a fantastic day in paradise!
We woke up early in the morning as National Geographic Islander navigated along the northern part of Isabela Island. Slowly the sun appeared above the clouds surrounding Volcano Wolf. We spotted our first birds as Galapagos fur seals returned to shore from their night hunt. We enjoyed a great breakfast. Afterward, expedition leader Vanessa called everyone to the bow to celebrate as we crossed the equator. Our guests happily crossed the line. Approaching Punta Vicente Roca, the visitor site, we spotted Galapagos sea lions and a good number of ocean sunfish. The first activity of the day took place as we dropped anchor at Punta Vicente Roca. This is a spectacular geological site. The combination of the former volcano’s tall cliffs and the tuff cones formed later adds an amazing contrast to this unique visitor site. Our best tools for exploration, our Zodiacs, were lowered down, and off we went to explore the coast. We observed Nazca boobies and blue-footed boobies resting on the small ledges of the tuff cones. Galapagos sea lions swam close to our Zodiac, and Galapagos penguins rested on a broken piece of the tuff cone after feeding. What a wonderful sight! In a calm area, we found a good number of Pacific green sea turtles. The morning’s activities ended with snorkeling. Pacific green sea turtles, plenty of colorful fish, Galapagos marine iguanas and flightless cormorants surrounded us. It was a phenomenal experience! The ship was repositioned toward Fernandina Island. The youngest island of the archipelago, Fernandina is a highlight of our expedition. This island shows our guests the beginning of life. We observed animals thriving in the hostile environment. Pioneer plants like lava cacti grow on the lava fields, breaking down rocks little by little to create soil for the next generation of plants. Punta Espinoza is known for its huge colony of Galapagos marine iguanas. It is hard to distinguish the iguanas from rocks since they are so dark in color. On the other hand, colorful Sally Lightfoot crabs added contrast to the young, dark lava fields. We ended our walk as the sun was setting, returning to the ship with great memories. It was a fantastic day in the western part of the archipelago.
