Isabela and Fernandina Islands
We woke up in the western Galápagos to the soft breeze of the morning, the first shining rays…and two large pods of common dolphins! This was the very beginning of an amazing day in the western Galápagos Islands.
Shortly after breakfast we approached the equator line and we gathered at the bridge to witness the moment our ship reached the 00„a latitude marking our arrival to the southern hemisphere on our way to Punta Vicente Roca on Isabela Island.
We boarded the Zodiacs and started to explore the shore; this place has a stunning wildlife. The volcanic rocks are teeming with life of different forms and sizes. Marine iguanas were among the most common sightings, blue footed boobies and Nazca boobies were also part of the highlights.
Most of the morning was a feeding frenzy for Galapagos Penguins, flightless cormorants and many other birds. We also went snorkeling and it was just another world full of life. There were many types of fish and we had close encounters with sea turtles and penguins!
In the afternoon we visited Fernandina Island. This island is the youngest of the Galapagos. Volcanic processes are still going on. This island is covered by vast lava flows and the island itself is an active volcano whose last eruption took place in April 2009. We went for a walk along the shore among sea lions, sally light foot crabs and flightless cormorants.
This young island has the largest colonies of marine iguanas. These reptiles form large groups along the shore. As we explored the place we could see that the breeding cycle is starting for the marine iguanas because there are burrows where they laid their eggs and some of them are digging in the sand.
It was an amazing day full of sightings and new experiences!
