Northern Isabela
This morning dawn found us rolling along the northern coast of Isabela. The rising sun lit the shield shaped volcanoes of Wolf, Darwin and Fernandina. Galápagos shearwaters, dark-rumped petrels, storm petrels and noddy terns were busy feeding among the ocean waves. One of our guests spotted a whale spout and flukes but apparently this marine mammal made a deep dive as we did not locate it again.
We had crossed the equator in the wee hours from south to north: after breakfast we crossed back, from north to south, with the bridge full of cheering. The youngest and the oldest “girls” aboard this week were in charge of tooting the whistle when the GPS showed all zeros.
Water options were offered next: Zodiac rides, sea kayaking and then deep water snorkeling. The highlights from the Zodiac rides were mola mola (some of us only saw the fin, some could see the entire huge fish through the crystal clear water and some of us saw one breaching!!), penguins flying through the water after tiny fish, a feeding frenzy of sierra mackerel, tuna and noddy terns, and enormous marine iguanas beginning to set up territories along the rugged shore. The kayakers paddled close to sea turtles, sea lions and penguins and had an exuberating outing. But best of all perhaps, was the morning snorkeling trip. Everyone saw dozens of sea turtles and fish and a few of us spied a cormorant fishing deep below us. The conditions were fantastic: calm, clear water and marine life all around us.
We did great justice to a fabulous and scrumptious Ecuadorian buffet lunch; and after all the morning activities we deserved both the meal and the siesta that followed. In the afternoon we followed the Naturalists over the lava rocks and salt and pepper sand at Punta Espinoza and observed piles of marine iguanas, nesting cormorants, and sea lions. Those who chose to explore via Zodiac found penguins shooting through the water after tiny fish, several cormorant colonies, a hawk in a mangrove and lovely calm lagoons surrounded by the tumbled lava shores. Punta Espinoza is a magical place and as we returned to the ship in the evening we all realized how fortunate we are to have the opportunity to experience these enchanted islands.
This morning dawn found us rolling along the northern coast of Isabela. The rising sun lit the shield shaped volcanoes of Wolf, Darwin and Fernandina. Galápagos shearwaters, dark-rumped petrels, storm petrels and noddy terns were busy feeding among the ocean waves. One of our guests spotted a whale spout and flukes but apparently this marine mammal made a deep dive as we did not locate it again.
We had crossed the equator in the wee hours from south to north: after breakfast we crossed back, from north to south, with the bridge full of cheering. The youngest and the oldest “girls” aboard this week were in charge of tooting the whistle when the GPS showed all zeros.
Water options were offered next: Zodiac rides, sea kayaking and then deep water snorkeling. The highlights from the Zodiac rides were mola mola (some of us only saw the fin, some could see the entire huge fish through the crystal clear water and some of us saw one breaching!!), penguins flying through the water after tiny fish, a feeding frenzy of sierra mackerel, tuna and noddy terns, and enormous marine iguanas beginning to set up territories along the rugged shore. The kayakers paddled close to sea turtles, sea lions and penguins and had an exuberating outing. But best of all perhaps, was the morning snorkeling trip. Everyone saw dozens of sea turtles and fish and a few of us spied a cormorant fishing deep below us. The conditions were fantastic: calm, clear water and marine life all around us.
We did great justice to a fabulous and scrumptious Ecuadorian buffet lunch; and after all the morning activities we deserved both the meal and the siesta that followed. In the afternoon we followed the Naturalists over the lava rocks and salt and pepper sand at Punta Espinoza and observed piles of marine iguanas, nesting cormorants, and sea lions. Those who chose to explore via Zodiac found penguins shooting through the water after tiny fish, several cormorant colonies, a hawk in a mangrove and lovely calm lagoons surrounded by the tumbled lava shores. Punta Espinoza is a magical place and as we returned to the ship in the evening we all realized how fortunate we are to have the opportunity to experience these enchanted islands.
