Isabela Island
An early-morning visit at Isabela awaited us as we anchored off the coast of Urbina Bay. The moisture was heavy as we landed at this geologically significant area. Urbina Bay was uplifted in 1954, prior to volcanic activity at Alcedo Volcano on Isabela. As pressure was building in the internal volcanic plumbing of this area, a couple of square kilometers of this shallow bay were thrust out of the water, in certain regions up to three or four meters. Coral heads and many species of invertebrates were stranded inland and the coastal environment was changed drastically.
We encountered remnants of coastal species inland as we searched for land iguanas and unique plant species. Large coral heads that were built up by the coral polyps over hundreds of years greeted us and we became surrounded by salt-resistant vegetation that has overtaken this ground. Among the endemic Darwin’s shrubs and poison apple trees we found numerous land iguanas, some warming themselves on our path. Coming to the limitation of the uplift we were very surprised to find a young Galápagos tortoise feeding on the new vegetation.
A light rain fell as we made our way to the beach and encountered various Galápagos tortoises. The diversity of life found in this new coastal area over such a short amount of time is astounding. Our captain weighed anchor and we navigated towards our afternoon destination.
Tagus Cove is a protected anchorage along the western coast of Isabela and we witnessed its history, as it is written on the surrounding cliff walls. Graffiti has been the tradition here as past navigators either wanted to make a claim or only to register their presence. We found the oldest markings dating back to 1836, one year after Darwin’s visit to this same site.
Afternoon activities included kayaking and snorkeling along the inside of the cove. This venture into the water showed the range of wildlife in the colder waters of the western archipelago: an incredibly robust marine iguana made a dive and proceeded to feed for the next five minutes, holding onto the rocky bottom. Pacific green sea turtles appeared to enjoy the same meal as they calmly passed by. We watched flightless cormorants and fleet penguins, showing that they are truly built for this water environment. The variety was inconceivable: we found a Galápagos horn shark, an octopus, sea lions, and an abundance of fish species all going about their daily duties.
The day was still young as we dried ourselves and headed for an invigorating hike to the top of Tagus Cove. The view was otherworldly as lava flows have mixed with the incense trees and we found Darwin’s Lake with small ripples on its surface. The sun set with a light breeze upon our faces, another unique adventure in this special place on earth.
