Urbina Bay and Tagus Cove
Isabela is one of most remote islands of the Galápagos Archipelago; west of Isabela and Fernandina the Pacific Ocean opens wide and vast, almost endless. The landscapes of Isabela, with their young and elegant volcanoes, add to this feeling of isolation from the rest of the world.
Early in the morning we set off to explore the amazing coast of Urbina Bay, located west of the island. This area suffered the effects of the young volcanism of this region when in 1954 approximately 1.5 square kilometers of submarine platform were uplifted nearly 15 feet. It was a sudden event, and there was little or no time for marine organisms to flee. We found many traces of this event in the form of shells and large coral formations inland at a considerable distance from the waterline. This area has now been colonized by vegetation, providing a great habitat to reptilian species like lava lizards and the endemic land iguana. Along the trail and as we walked through their territories, we observed several male land iguanas resting under the shade of some trees nearby.
Urbina Bay is located on the flanks of Alcedo Volcano, which holds a healthy population of giant tortoises. To our luck, we were able to find a large individual next to the trail. Land birds were represented in the area by small and medium ground finches, yellow warblers, Galápagos flycatchers and mockingbirds. A juvenile Galápagos hawk flew over our heads while patrolling its large territory. It was a sunny and warm morning, so we made sure to enjoy the refreshing sea and went for a dip in the water.
While navigating through the Bolivar Channel, we were able to appreciate the size of Isabela Island, composed of six large shield volcanoes. We dropped anchor at Tagus Cove, a bay that has been visited by many seafarers in the past, not only because of its calm waters but also because a semi-permanent fresh water spring occurs in the vicinity. Its coastline is rather dramatic as well as rich in marine wildlife: Galápagos penguins, flightless cormorants, brown noddy terns and brown pelicans can be found here, either perched on ledges between the tuff rock formations or fishing their favorite food.
There were several ways to explore this unique environment, either by snorkeling or kayaking along its rocky shores or taking a Zodiac ride. And the local conditions were great today! A late-afternoon hike to appreciate the scenic landscapes of Darwin Lake and the black lava fields of nearby Darwin Volcano were the icing on the cake.
Tonight we will leave this area behind and make our way to the central part of the archipelago, in order to explore the island where in 1835 Charles Darwin spent most of his time ashore during his four-week visit to the Galápagos: Santiago Island.
