Fernandina Island
It was an early morning today; we were in waters where whales may be found and we looked and looked but no spouts. Afterwards however, while we were having breakfast in the dining room on board the National Geographic Polaris, we spotted a pod of at least a hundred common dolphins on our way to Isabela Island, just near the northern most shoreline, and as soon as possible everyone was on the outer deck to get a better view of these beautiful marine mammals.
While we were enjoying these amazing creatures, we approached the Equatorial line, and all of us got ready to cross it for the second time during this week (the first being at 4:00 am this morning). Many of our guests were taking pictures while we were crossing from the northern to the southern hemisphere, trying to get the feeling of it, feel a bump, see the line if only in our minds, but exciting anyway.
After this celebration we got very close to Ecuador volcano that has almost half of it collapsed into the sea. This allows us to see the remains of the giant caldera of this dormant geological formation.
Right after we anchored at Punta Vicente Roca, we went for a Zodiac cruise along the coast looking for the unique wildlife that Isabela has to offer. We were very lucky because we saw everything what we expected, such as ocean sunfish, Galápagos penguins, flightless cormorants and many others; what a morning! And it wasn’t over yet.
Once again we went out to snorkel and enjoy the under water life of this great place. We saw lot’s of Pacific green sea turtles, playful sea lions and many colorful fish. After this final morning activity we came back on board to enjoy a delicious lunch and siesta.
In the afternoon we disembarked on Fernandina Island. This place is the youngest geological formation of all Galápagos. From the distance it looks barren, but the moment we set foot on land we noticed the presence of big colonies of the largest marine iguanas of the archipelago. Many of the female marine iguanas were very busy digging holes to lay their eggs, while males were resting in piles in the coastal area.
We saw also the famous flightless cormorants, many Sally Lightfoot crabs and the top predator of this marvelous place, the Galápagos hawk. What a day to keep in our memories for ever.
It was an early morning today; we were in waters where whales may be found and we looked and looked but no spouts. Afterwards however, while we were having breakfast in the dining room on board the National Geographic Polaris, we spotted a pod of at least a hundred common dolphins on our way to Isabela Island, just near the northern most shoreline, and as soon as possible everyone was on the outer deck to get a better view of these beautiful marine mammals.
While we were enjoying these amazing creatures, we approached the Equatorial line, and all of us got ready to cross it for the second time during this week (the first being at 4:00 am this morning). Many of our guests were taking pictures while we were crossing from the northern to the southern hemisphere, trying to get the feeling of it, feel a bump, see the line if only in our minds, but exciting anyway.
After this celebration we got very close to Ecuador volcano that has almost half of it collapsed into the sea. This allows us to see the remains of the giant caldera of this dormant geological formation.
Right after we anchored at Punta Vicente Roca, we went for a Zodiac cruise along the coast looking for the unique wildlife that Isabela has to offer. We were very lucky because we saw everything what we expected, such as ocean sunfish, Galápagos penguins, flightless cormorants and many others; what a morning! And it wasn’t over yet.
Once again we went out to snorkel and enjoy the under water life of this great place. We saw lot’s of Pacific green sea turtles, playful sea lions and many colorful fish. After this final morning activity we came back on board to enjoy a delicious lunch and siesta.
In the afternoon we disembarked on Fernandina Island. This place is the youngest geological formation of all Galápagos. From the distance it looks barren, but the moment we set foot on land we noticed the presence of big colonies of the largest marine iguanas of the archipelago. Many of the female marine iguanas were very busy digging holes to lay their eggs, while males were resting in piles in the coastal area.
We saw also the famous flightless cormorants, many Sally Lightfoot crabs and the top predator of this marvelous place, the Galápagos hawk. What a day to keep in our memories for ever.
