We arrived at Fernandina Island, the youngest of the archipelago, in the western realm of the Galapagos. We hiked on fresh lava flows where we were transported back to a time when the land was newly formed. The highlight of the morning was the group of Galapagos marine iguanas that were basking at the shoreline. Afterward, we snorkeled inside the bay with Galapagos penguins, sea lions, several species of fish, and foraging green sea turtles.
In the afternoon, we backtracked north and navigated towards the northwestern side of Isabela Island. We took our groups on a Zodiac ride to explore the coast. We found Galapagos penguins and the impressive flightless cormorants. Later in the day we crossed the equatorial line and celebrated this event on the top deck during a sunset wine tasting.
At night, we navigated near the amazing natural phenomenon that Fernandina offered us…there was an eruption in progress! Amazing red lava flows from the volcano touched the ocean. This was a spectacular experience for our guests, who appreciated the unique show that Mother Nature performed for us. It was a magical adventure on our third day of expedition!
