Isabela, Fernandina
A southeast breeze followed us north as we rounded the tip of Isabela to coast westward toward Cabo Berkeley with Roca Redonda to starboard. Audubon shearwater and Elliot’s storm petrels were busy sifting the surface waters for plankton and small fishes while Hawaiian petrels soared blithely across the bow as if just enjoying the breeze.
Shortly before breakfast a school of Pacific Common Dolphins of more than 100 were sighted. They were intent upon fishing, like a special-forces detail purposefully tracking an unseen school of targets. As we noisily descended on them they exploded from the depths and took off like rockets.
Looking to starboard we viewed the interior of Volcan Ecuador, its fresh lavas blacks as a burnt pot. The northern section of the volcano, inexplicably faulted off into the depths, lay 250 fathoms beneath the ship. At Punta Roca Vincente, the Polaris anchored long enough for us to take measure of the life gathered around the cave. Our Zodiac cruise yielded blue-footed boobies and noddy terns perched in abundance along the ashy cliffs, while on the slopes below, the giant male marine iguanas did battle; indigent cormorants and penguins lounged; an octopus stalked Grapsus crabs and an emaciated feral cat hunted lava lizards.
Mixed among the sea lions it was particularly good to see fur seals along these cliffs. They are among the greatest success stories of the Galápagos. In the early ‘50’s they were abandoned as extinct and almost forgotten. Today, fur seals number in the tens of thousands. However, they still respond to humans as killers. In contrast, a lonesome penguin made its acquaintance repeatedly drawn by the mournful calls of its human soul-mate.
Sailing southward again we could look aft and see Alcedo Volcano while simultaneously learning about Lynn’s pioneering work on the tortoises and feral donkeys there in the late ‘70’s. It is interesting to note that Lynn’s story gave rise to the recent TV Survivor series!
This afternoon provided one of those quintessential Galápagos experiences. Snorkeling around the point of Pta. Espinosa we must have seen at least 50 large, green sea turtles – primarily females – browsing among the marine iguanas that were feeding on the pastures of green algae. It is a sight to be seen nowhere else on Earth. There was plenty of other life there, too. Squadrons of skipjack, cutting through blizzards of fish fry; the sparkling cavalry of black silema; and rank upon rank of opposing sea urchins armies poised for combat – each occupying key seafloor strongholds.
Dawdling along the point in the late afternoon we passed colonies of Darwin’s “imps of darkness” thrown together in heaps as they basked in the afternoon’s sunny warmth like regular city beach-goers. The fire-crackers exploding within these colonies transpired to be their explosive sneezes as they rid themselves of their excess salt.
Further along the point was a scattering of flightless cormorant colonies variously attended by earnest parents, vagrants and the recently furloughed. One of these characters was earlier noted poaching fish in the adjacent lagoon; and yet another choking down a reluctant octopus. Antonio is preparing to write them up as we speak.
Finally, as the day wound down, penguins repaired to the shores of the sheltered lagoons after their long hard day at the “office.” A few seemed even a little miffed to find some of their fellows had made it once again – but with the all the airs of the long-suffering they settled down reluctantly for another night in paradise.
A southeast breeze followed us north as we rounded the tip of Isabela to coast westward toward Cabo Berkeley with Roca Redonda to starboard. Audubon shearwater and Elliot’s storm petrels were busy sifting the surface waters for plankton and small fishes while Hawaiian petrels soared blithely across the bow as if just enjoying the breeze.
Shortly before breakfast a school of Pacific Common Dolphins of more than 100 were sighted. They were intent upon fishing, like a special-forces detail purposefully tracking an unseen school of targets. As we noisily descended on them they exploded from the depths and took off like rockets.
Looking to starboard we viewed the interior of Volcan Ecuador, its fresh lavas blacks as a burnt pot. The northern section of the volcano, inexplicably faulted off into the depths, lay 250 fathoms beneath the ship. At Punta Roca Vincente, the Polaris anchored long enough for us to take measure of the life gathered around the cave. Our Zodiac cruise yielded blue-footed boobies and noddy terns perched in abundance along the ashy cliffs, while on the slopes below, the giant male marine iguanas did battle; indigent cormorants and penguins lounged; an octopus stalked Grapsus crabs and an emaciated feral cat hunted lava lizards.
Mixed among the sea lions it was particularly good to see fur seals along these cliffs. They are among the greatest success stories of the Galápagos. In the early ‘50’s they were abandoned as extinct and almost forgotten. Today, fur seals number in the tens of thousands. However, they still respond to humans as killers. In contrast, a lonesome penguin made its acquaintance repeatedly drawn by the mournful calls of its human soul-mate.
Sailing southward again we could look aft and see Alcedo Volcano while simultaneously learning about Lynn’s pioneering work on the tortoises and feral donkeys there in the late ‘70’s. It is interesting to note that Lynn’s story gave rise to the recent TV Survivor series!
This afternoon provided one of those quintessential Galápagos experiences. Snorkeling around the point of Pta. Espinosa we must have seen at least 50 large, green sea turtles – primarily females – browsing among the marine iguanas that were feeding on the pastures of green algae. It is a sight to be seen nowhere else on Earth. There was plenty of other life there, too. Squadrons of skipjack, cutting through blizzards of fish fry; the sparkling cavalry of black silema; and rank upon rank of opposing sea urchins armies poised for combat – each occupying key seafloor strongholds.
Dawdling along the point in the late afternoon we passed colonies of Darwin’s “imps of darkness” thrown together in heaps as they basked in the afternoon’s sunny warmth like regular city beach-goers. The fire-crackers exploding within these colonies transpired to be their explosive sneezes as they rid themselves of their excess salt.
Further along the point was a scattering of flightless cormorant colonies variously attended by earnest parents, vagrants and the recently furloughed. One of these characters was earlier noted poaching fish in the adjacent lagoon; and yet another choking down a reluctant octopus. Antonio is preparing to write them up as we speak.
Finally, as the day wound down, penguins repaired to the shores of the sheltered lagoons after their long hard day at the “office.” A few seemed even a little miffed to find some of their fellows had made it once again – but with the all the airs of the long-suffering they settled down reluctantly for another night in paradise.
