After a night’s long navigation, we have reached the western islands, considered the most remote region of the Galápagos Archipelago. Today we can feel extremely lucky: just after 6am, Juan Carlos, our expedition leader announced that a blue whale had been spotted near our ship. The sighting of the largest mammal on Earth ever was breathtaking… what an amazing way to wake up to a new day!
After breakfast, we set foot on Punta Espinosa, on Fernandina Island. This is one of the most pristine islands in the world; a barren, young island that has remained relatively untouched, it is the home of an impressive number of endemic marine iguanas. We admired the beauty of the black lavas and majestic shield volcanoes all around us, in the nearby shallows, many Pacific green sea turtles rested peacefully in the calm waters. To everyone’s delight there were several newborn Galápagos sea lions close to our trail, some were strong enough to play with one another while they waited for their mothers to return from their fishing trips. The snorkeling off Punta Espinosa was amazing, with close encounters with marine iguanas and sea turtles that usually feed in these productive coastline. In the early afternoon, we had anchored off the coast of Punta Vicente Roca, on Isabela Island. The stunning walls of Ecuador Volcano rise very tall above blue-green waters. We set off in our Zodiacs for a ride along the coastline, to search for the local wildlife. It was certainly very rich, with Galápagos fur seals and marine iguanas resting on the black lavas; while several bird species were very busy either active in their nesting areas or hunting for food nearby. We navigated north before sunset, as crossing the equator line is a “must-do” in this region. What a great way to end an amazing day… Salud (cheers) to everyone!
