We are halfway through our expedition aboard National Geographic Endeavour II in the Enchanted Islands. Today we visit Urbina Bay, located on the western side of Alcedo Volcano on Isabela Island. In the morning we were welcomed on the beach by a raft of penguins, sea turtles, sea lions and pelicans plunging for their food. In this amazing place, tortoises were found walking, resting, and feeding on the trails, where land iguanas basked in the sun. In the afternoon, we went to Tagus Cove, where we explored the shore by kayaking and snorkeling. To end the day, we hiked to the summit of one of the many tuff cones on Darwin Volcano.
5/24/2022
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National Geographic Endeavour II
Urbina Bay & Tagus Cove, Isabela Island
We continued our journey along Isabela’s coastline. On our fourth day, we visited two unique sites located at the slopes of some active volcanoes. After dinner, National Geographic Endeavour II anchored in Urbina Bay. In the morning, we went for a short walk along the uplifted coastline of the Alcedo Volcano. It didn’t take long until we were greeted by the iconic Galapagos giant tortoise. These dome-shelled tortoises are only found around this volcano. We also spotted beautiful land iguanas for the second time. After an hour and a half of navigation this afternoon, we anchored at the famous Tagus Cove, a popular landing spot in the past for sailors and navy ships from many countries. As we looked outside the ship, we noticed tall tuff walls from two majestic cones, the same ones that Charles Darwin explored during his visits onboard HMS Beagle. Finally, we concluded a very full and active day with water activities: kayaking, snorkeling, and a strenuous hike over the tuff cones along Darwin’s Lake.
