Isabela & Fernandina Islands
By early morning we have reached the coolest part of the Galápagos Archipelago; we are on the west side, where the upwelling Cromwell counter-current brings rich nutrients for the entire food web of the wildlife of Galápagos.
We crossed the equator, celebrating in the bridge, and then anchored at Punta Vicente Roca where we enjoyed a dramatic landscape. We went out in the Zodiacs to get a closer view of the sheer, high cliffs which were teeming with resting sea birds. These nutrient rich waters are feeding grounds for the Pacific green sea turtles and in deed we saw many of them. In addition, a great highlight for many of us, were the Galápagos penguins that we found both swimming and feeding on tiny fish and resting on the rocky shores.
After the panga ride along the shore we came back to gear up for snorkeling in the calm bay of Vicente Roca. It was almost like swimming in a fish tank! There were many different species of fish and some of us had close encounters with sea lions, marine turtles, penguins and flightless cormorants!
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In the afternoon we repositioned the ship to Fernandina Island for a fabulous visit at Punta Espinoza. This site took us back in time and gave us an idea of what these islands must have been like in the very beginning: devoid of life at first, yet slowly but surely as plants and animals arrived the number of species increased. This afternoon we found those that had successfully arrived and established, coexisting; sea lions, flightless cormorants, Sally Lightfoot crabs, lava lizards, Galápagos hawks and marine iguanas. It is nesting season for the iguanas and we found their egg chambers on the sandy beach.
By early morning we have reached the coolest part of the Galápagos Archipelago; we are on the west side, where the upwelling Cromwell counter-current brings rich nutrients for the entire food web of the wildlife of Galápagos.
We crossed the equator, celebrating in the bridge, and then anchored at Punta Vicente Roca where we enjoyed a dramatic landscape. We went out in the Zodiacs to get a closer view of the sheer, high cliffs which were teeming with resting sea birds. These nutrient rich waters are feeding grounds for the Pacific green sea turtles and in deed we saw many of them. In addition, a great highlight for many of us, were the Galápagos penguins that we found both swimming and feeding on tiny fish and resting on the rocky shores.
After the panga ride along the shore we came back to gear up for snorkeling in the calm bay of Vicente Roca. It was almost like swimming in a fish tank! There were many different species of fish and some of us had close encounters with sea lions, marine turtles, penguins and flightless cormorants!
.
In the afternoon we repositioned the ship to Fernandina Island for a fabulous visit at Punta Espinoza. This site took us back in time and gave us an idea of what these islands must have been like in the very beginning: devoid of life at first, yet slowly but surely as plants and animals arrived the number of species increased. This afternoon we found those that had successfully arrived and established, coexisting; sea lions, flightless cormorants, Sally Lightfoot crabs, lava lizards, Galápagos hawks and marine iguanas. It is nesting season for the iguanas and we found their egg chambers on the sandy beach.
