Urbina Bay and Tagus Cove, Isabela Island
The geology had given a touch of magic to the place over time; a big area of the coast of Urbina Bay was uplifted in 1959, created by the movement of tectonic plates. As a result of this event we see some giant brain coral and the remains of the marine life that is now part of the sedimentary rock that we could call marine fossils on land.
The walk inland where our expedition led us today was the very essence of this place and the most interesting terrain we could imagine. Isabela is a big island, made out of six volcanoes that have joined together over time and where five species of tortoise have radiated from a common ancestor. Giant tortoises and the prehistoric-looking land iguanas roam the green vegetation found in the lower areas of the volcanoes that is their habitat. During this season many of the female tortoises have come down to the arid zone to lay their eggs and enjoy the foliage. We could have not been more lucky than today, enjoying several giant tortoises and the popular brightly-colored land iguanas.
Our visit to Tagus Cove in the afternoon was filled with excitement; as we were getting ready to go snorkeling we were greatly surprised by the presence of two small whale sharks swimming slowly around the cove. We could not wait a second to get in the water with them… it has probably been the most exciting snorkel of our life, these gentle creatures let us approach them and did not swim away as we followed them, so close that we could even see the remoras feeding inside one of their mouths.
Besides these beautiful creatures we had a manta ray that also swam with us, and penguins, sea turtles and flightless cormorants all came to join the party!
As we headed back to the ship at sunset, we realized that the magic of these islands deserves to be conserved, not only for us humans to enjoy but for all of the magnificent creatures that have made this place their home…
