Isabela Island
The isolation of the Galápagos Islands produced what we called a natural naïf behavior in its species. Big predators couldn’t make it to this archipelago. Humans couldn’t colonize the islands until very recently. That is why one of the best experiences of the Galápagos is to be really close to animals. Too close sometimes as they don’t feel any fear!
Today on Isabela Island we enjoyed that amazing feeling of being not just observers but part of this unique ecosystem. From the morning in Urvina Bay, where bottlenose dolphins came bow riding our Zodiacs; to the afternoon in Tagus Cove with Galápagos penguins leading our Zodiac ride! Today we were immersed in the beauty of these Enchanted Islands.
We were able to enjoy the strong Equatorial sun all day long. Blue sky and calm waters were the perfect conditions for our activities. After the morning encounter with dolphins we were welcome by seven Galápagos Hawks at our disembarkation area. Juvenile hawks are very curious, we laughed while one of them tried to “trap” a snorkeling bag, which was not the ideal prey! The walk took us through an interesting area that was underwater 57 years ago. The whole bay was uplifted that year! Today the area is covered with secondary vegetation that hides the evidence of this geological event: shells and sea worms attached to the rocks and giants heads of corals. We found some land iguanas and giant tortoises on the trail. All of them were hiding in the shade due to the strong sun!
In the afternoon we snorkeled and kayaked in Tagus Cove, and then we hiked and explored the shores with our Zodiacs! We had options for everybody! The area has surprises for everybody! Sea turtles and sea lions are common to spot from the kayaks; penguins, boobies, cormorants and pelicans are decorating the tuff cones around the cove. The beautiful view of Darwin’s Lake is the reward for our hikers!
The turquoise color of the waters with the dolphins, our yellow land iguanas, the blue sky, the rusty cones and the black and white penguins…everything we saw today brought color to our lives. We were not just witnesses of this beauty; today we were part of this paradise of Galápagos.
