Punta Espinosa & Punta Vicente Roca
This morning began with an early wakeup call to encourage all aboard to join the search for marine mammals as we sailed the richest waters in all of Galapagos. Distant blows were found to be Bryde’s whales, eight or nine animals in all.
After a few close sightings, we headed towards our anchorage at Isla Fernandina, an amazing island for wildlife experiences. Fernandina is the youngest and most pristine island in the archipelago. It was the day of the iguana, marine iguanas to be precise, as we found these unusual creatures almost every step of the way. We saw them on lava and on sand, basking in the warmth of the morning sun. In the water, they moved swiftly between algae covered rocks, crunching away at the fresh greenery revealed by the dropping tide. Brilliantly colored Sally lightfoot crabs dotted the lava landscape around them.
The walks were followed by an excellent snorkeling outing. Snorkelers gasped as they entered the brisk water, but were quickly distracted by the amazing sights underwater. Dozens of sea turtles moved through the water, mesmerizingly close by, and marine iguanas were seen grazing on algae below. All the while, sea lions would zip through the scene, curious of the sea turtles and occasionally making the iguanas a bit nervous.
The intrepid snorkelers returned to the ship filled with exciting reports of their adventures, and we all continued on to our afternoon plans. First up were hands-on photo sessions followed by an inspiring talk, “In the Company of Animals” by Kevin Schafer, our National Geographic Photographer. We immediately jumped into our fleet of Zodiacs for an afternoon tour of Punta San Vicente Roca along the northwest tip of Isla Isabela. Away from the lumpy waters offshore, and into the protected bay, we had a fresh view of the marine life here, with great views of flightless cormorants, Galapagos penguins, Galapagos fur seals, blue-footed boobies, green sea turtles, brown noddy terns, mola molas and more. The variety and abundance of wildlife is very impressive in these rich waters.
Back onboard we set sail, heading for the equator at sunset. At the equator crossing, King Neptune and a band of friendly pirates forced us to celebrate with them on the bow. What a day! We can only imagine what lies ahead for tomorrow.
