Fernandina & Isabela
Early in the morning we entered the westernmost realm of the Galápagos, where the frigid waters of the deep equatorial countercurrent rise up along the western edge of the undersea Galápagos platform. For the early risers, the effort was worthwhile, as we did spot as many as ten whales, some close enough to identify as a Bryde’s, humpback, and a Sei’s whale.
After breakfast we visited Fernandina Island, with an imposing volcano rising to nearly 5,000 feet in elevation. One of the most active volcanoes in the world and the world's largest completely pristine island, its flanks are streaked with innumerable fresh lava flows, most of them still black and lifeless.
We landed at Punta Espinosa, where hundreds of marine iguanas were basking on the dark lava, while sea lions, flightless cormorants, and sea turtles were all over the place. We walked over solid black slabs of "ropy" lava, referred to by the Hawaiian term "pahoehoe" and soon after we were exploring the underwater world of Fernandina. I had one of the best snorkel experiences in my entire life, swimming with huge female sea turtles and marine iguanas feeding on algae under perfect light conditions, even though the water temperature was a bit chilly (67 F).
After lunch we crossed the mouth of the Bolivar Channel that separates Fernandina and Isabela. Most of this spectacular shield volcano, which is bisected by the equator, collapsed and slumped away into the ocean, leaving fascinating views of the inner caldera wall and the caldera floor. We dropped anchor at the southern end of the caldera, and explored the area called Punta Vicente Roca with our zodiacs, on the lookout for penguins, cormorants, turtles, marine iguanas and more, such as a brief encounter with a very huge manta ray!
To finalize the day, we had champagne on the bow of the ship to celebrate the crossing of the equator line—what else could we ask for??
