Fernandina and Isabela Islands
Fernandina and Isabela are the islands where the expedition brought us today, the youngest islands of the archipelago, located at the westernmost side of the chain. The landscape around us is made out of shield shaped volcanoes, due to age and being young we can see what oceanic islands look; geological time and erosion will eventually flatten the volcanoes that will shape the landscapes of the planet.
These two islands are surrounded by the cold undercurrent of Crownwell, an ocean current very rich in nutrients and responsible for the marine wildlife (like the whales, dolphins, mola molas and sea lions), that we found as we got into the Zodiacs to go ashore. These rich waters are characteristically green in coloration due to upwelling.
Punta Espinoza, is an island that takes us back to very beginning of time; it’s a place where we can see the very early processes of life taking place… the formation of soil. Fernandina is around a hundred and fifty thousand years old, considered a baby geologically speaking. The fragility of it all made us understand why this places need to be conserved, so life can go on with its evolutionary processes. Snorkeling with sea turtles and having a chance to observe the marine iguanas feeding underwater, was a wonderful experience for all of us.
We spent the afternoon in Punta Vicente Roca along the coastline of Isabela, together with the unique species that inhabit the area. Galapagos penguins within the smallest of the globe, Flightless cormorants, marine iguanas, Pacific green sea turtles made our Zodiac ride a very enjoyable one.
As we returned to the ship at sunset we realized the overwhelming power of this precious planet that we call home…
