Isabela & Fernandina Islands
We are presently located at the western-most realm of the archipelago, hurray! Up until now we were hoping to see any kind of marine mammals (without luck) but our chances just increased as we entered the western side of the archipelago. It was just before breakfast when we succeeded on the task, as we noticed in the distance many splashes on the water and birds flying all over the area. For a moment we thought it was only a large school of tunas and even with the binoculars we were not sure of what we were seeing. All of the sudden a big leap! A large pod of common dolphins started to display acrobatic leaps about half a mile from our location. The light and ocean breeze felt perfect and being surrounded by volcanoes it seemed like some sort of an image from a dream. There were at least five hundred dolphins jumping and performing skillfully, but unfortunately they were more interested in their food than our ship. They decided to pay little attention to our presence and in coordinated movements, disappearing rapidly from our sight. Our commitment to wildlife is strong, therefore we decided to respect their decision to continue with their lives, so we did too!
By the time breakfast was done, there were only a few more miles left to go to cross the equator line officially. Surprisingly, King Neptune (whom was innocently mistaken as Santa Claus at his arrival) decided to give us his blessings personally and came on board with a crew of pirates that would put the “Pirates of the Caribbean” to shame!
After such a busy time on board, we lowered the Zodiacs on a location known as Punta Vicente Roca, at the northwest side of Isabela Island. “Fun” is the perfect word that describes the Zodiac ride, the snorkeling and the kayaking experience. It is hard to imagine, but we couldn’t keep track of so many sea turtles that surrounded us in every one of the different outings. This is what we called a “reptilian experience!”
For the afternoon we had high expectations, since we headed to one of the most pristine islands in the world, Fernandina. We couldn’t have had a better time! The combination of an easy landing, great ambient temperature and fantastic light for photography allowed us to have an unforgettable experience.
During our nature hike we saw many interesting things that caught our attention, but we were particularly impressed by two sea lions fighting for territory barely ten feet away from us! For a brief moment it felt scary to be in the middle of their battle field, after all two giants like those, running all over the place, are hard to avoid. Once we realized that we weren’t part of their business, we continued with ours, which was taking pictures of the battle! The visit finished with a breathtaking sunset that took the remaining space of our compact flash cards.
We are presently located at the western-most realm of the archipelago, hurray! Up until now we were hoping to see any kind of marine mammals (without luck) but our chances just increased as we entered the western side of the archipelago. It was just before breakfast when we succeeded on the task, as we noticed in the distance many splashes on the water and birds flying all over the area. For a moment we thought it was only a large school of tunas and even with the binoculars we were not sure of what we were seeing. All of the sudden a big leap! A large pod of common dolphins started to display acrobatic leaps about half a mile from our location. The light and ocean breeze felt perfect and being surrounded by volcanoes it seemed like some sort of an image from a dream. There were at least five hundred dolphins jumping and performing skillfully, but unfortunately they were more interested in their food than our ship. They decided to pay little attention to our presence and in coordinated movements, disappearing rapidly from our sight. Our commitment to wildlife is strong, therefore we decided to respect their decision to continue with their lives, so we did too!
By the time breakfast was done, there were only a few more miles left to go to cross the equator line officially. Surprisingly, King Neptune (whom was innocently mistaken as Santa Claus at his arrival) decided to give us his blessings personally and came on board with a crew of pirates that would put the “Pirates of the Caribbean” to shame!
After such a busy time on board, we lowered the Zodiacs on a location known as Punta Vicente Roca, at the northwest side of Isabela Island. “Fun” is the perfect word that describes the Zodiac ride, the snorkeling and the kayaking experience. It is hard to imagine, but we couldn’t keep track of so many sea turtles that surrounded us in every one of the different outings. This is what we called a “reptilian experience!”
For the afternoon we had high expectations, since we headed to one of the most pristine islands in the world, Fernandina. We couldn’t have had a better time! The combination of an easy landing, great ambient temperature and fantastic light for photography allowed us to have an unforgettable experience.
During our nature hike we saw many interesting things that caught our attention, but we were particularly impressed by two sea lions fighting for territory barely ten feet away from us! For a brief moment it felt scary to be in the middle of their battle field, after all two giants like those, running all over the place, are hard to avoid. Once we realized that we weren’t part of their business, we continued with ours, which was taking pictures of the battle! The visit finished with a breathtaking sunset that took the remaining space of our compact flash cards.
