Fernandina & Isabela Islands
We are in the western realm of the archipelago, which is the most productive area in terms of plankton. This morning we headed to Fernandina Island where Galápagos marine iguanas were very busy digging nests. It is the beginning of their nesting season and several females were fighting and chasing each other for access to the already crowded nesting area. Far in the distance a lonely Galápagos hawk was patiently observing all these females and perhaps deciding which one was going to be its next meal. Some sea lions were resting on the sand after a long hunting trip to the sea; none looked interested in us and kept sleeping as we walked by them.
The nice sunny morning was also perfect for snorkeling along the coast of Fernandina; this was a great place to find all kinds of marine invertebrates, fish, sea turtles, marine iguanas feeding underwater and flightless cormorants looking for food.
This afternoon we headed to the equatorial line and, after a short ceremony, we kept navigating to Punta Vicente Roca; there we went on a Zodiac ride along the cliffs of Ecuador Volcano; we found Galápagos penguins fishing while some brown noddy terns were trying to catch some of the fish that came close to the surface, as the penguins chased them underneath.
Along the cliffs we also saw Gálapagos fur seals which are found in small groups, usually hiding in crevices and nocturnal in their feeding habits. Some fur seals were perfectly camouflaged in the lava rocks; it took us a while to start finding them.
As we left Punta Vicente Roca we observed in the distance a colorful rainbow on Isabela Island—a great way to end our day.
