Fernandina and Isabela Islands
Traveling around the Galápagos Islands can be the dream of a lifetime, and today we had a fantastic exploration in the western part of the archipelago. Fernandina was the first adventure of the day, and the best way to begin our journey was to go for a hike at Punta Espinosa. From the very beginning, the magnificence of the place was shown to our senses. Marine iguanas of many different sizes were found all over the area, and as it was feeding time for these reptiles, it was very common to see them swimming around. Farther into the trail, we had a delightful moment as baby Galápagos sea lions of different ages were playing around in the sandy area. Once we arrived to the other side of Punta Espinosa, it was time to see one of the big highlights of the expedition: flightless cormorants.
After a delightful exploration of Punta Espinosa, it was time to get everything ready for deep-water snorkeling. Once in the water, reef fishes of different colors were found swimming around us, like we were inside a natural fish tank. The highlight of the moment was definitely the Pacific green sea turtles. Watching marine iguanas underwater as we reached the lava rocks close to the coastline was awe-inspiring. Right at the end of snorkeling, a Galápagos penguin surprised us swimming around in an attempt to catch black-striped salemas that were found all over the rocks.
After pulling anchor, we headed for our next destination: Punta Vicente Roca. The best way to begin the afternoon adventure was with a comfortable Zodiac ride along the cliffs of Ecuador Volcano on the north side of Isabela Island. As we reached the rocks, a bird paradise was witnessed: brown pelicans resting, brown noddies nesting, flightless cormorants hopping from rock to rock, and Nazca boobies sleeping on the cliffs. As an addition to this marvelous view, Pacific green sea turtles were swimming all over the bay. At the end of the adventure we enjoyed a spectacular sunset as we sailed for our next destination.
