Isabela & Fernandina
The sun rose from below the ocean, breaking the darkness into new daylight; smooth ocean surface and a few clouds were far on the horizon, over the volcanoes. This is how a new day was presented to us to begin a new adventure on the western side of the archipelago.
The Captain circumnavigated the ship around Roca Redonda, which is the tip of a huge mountain submerged in the ocean. This rock is used by thousands of sea birds as a place to spend the night. We also sighted some sea lions near by. Afterwards we headed south towards Ecuador Volcano where we planned on an array water activities. First, however, we crossed the equator line. Some of our guests got very excited because it was the first time they had crossed the line on a vessel, and it couldn’t have been better than aboard the National Geographic Polaris, in the Galápagos Islands.
Once at Punta Vicente Roca we went for Zodiac rides along the coast where we saw Galápagos penguins, flightless cormorants, sea lions, quite a few species of sea birds, marine iguanas, and green sea turtles. At the last minute, just forty yards forward from the Zodiac, we sighted two ocean sunfish. Better known by their scientific name, Mola mola, this is a rare fish with two long fins and seemingly without a defined tail.
In the afternoon we disembarked at Punta Espinoza on Fernandina Island. The landing area was over a lava flow from 1825 on a type of lava with a ropy shape called pahoehoe. The number of marine iguanas there was fascinating and quite impossible to count; as we walked by the nesting site of this unusual looking creature nearby we spotted colorful Sally Lightfoot crabs and cormorants nesting on the rocks. Finally the sun descended and in a light rain we went back aboard to watch the sunset, the wind softly hitting our faces.
The sun rose from below the ocean, breaking the darkness into new daylight; smooth ocean surface and a few clouds were far on the horizon, over the volcanoes. This is how a new day was presented to us to begin a new adventure on the western side of the archipelago.
The Captain circumnavigated the ship around Roca Redonda, which is the tip of a huge mountain submerged in the ocean. This rock is used by thousands of sea birds as a place to spend the night. We also sighted some sea lions near by. Afterwards we headed south towards Ecuador Volcano where we planned on an array water activities. First, however, we crossed the equator line. Some of our guests got very excited because it was the first time they had crossed the line on a vessel, and it couldn’t have been better than aboard the National Geographic Polaris, in the Galápagos Islands.
Once at Punta Vicente Roca we went for Zodiac rides along the coast where we saw Galápagos penguins, flightless cormorants, sea lions, quite a few species of sea birds, marine iguanas, and green sea turtles. At the last minute, just forty yards forward from the Zodiac, we sighted two ocean sunfish. Better known by their scientific name, Mola mola, this is a rare fish with two long fins and seemingly without a defined tail.
In the afternoon we disembarked at Punta Espinoza on Fernandina Island. The landing area was over a lava flow from 1825 on a type of lava with a ropy shape called pahoehoe. The number of marine iguanas there was fascinating and quite impossible to count; as we walked by the nesting site of this unusual looking creature nearby we spotted colorful Sally Lightfoot crabs and cormorants nesting on the rocks. Finally the sun descended and in a light rain we went back aboard to watch the sunset, the wind softly hitting our faces.
