Isabela and Fernandina
We are in the richest and coolest part of the Galápagos Islands; therefore we began early, enjoying Roca Redonda before breakfast, as there was so much waiting for us along the day. Roca Redonda is a great nesting site for many species of seabirds. This area is also well known for the abundance of marine mammals such as cetaceans, and indeed we saw bottled-nosed dolphins. They were fishing in the rich waters around the rock, but took their time to bow ride the Polaris and play with us for a little while. Just before crossing the Equator line we had a glimpse of a Bryde’s whale. Most of our guests happened to be on the outside decks ready to take pictures of the line, and that’s when we saw the whale, blowing a few times, then disappearing in a mysterious and tree dimensional world, the deep sea. After the whale was gone, Dark-rumped petrels got our attention, and lead us to the Equator. Once we received our certificates signed up by King Neptune himself, we spotted ocean sunfish in front of the ship. It was one sighting after another. A non-stopping parade of animal species and amazing landscapes.
During the snorkeling we found dozens of sea turtles, and in the afternoon we saw lots of Galápagos penguins and flightless cormorants. Some people witnessed how a sea lion tried to tear apart an octopus, and some others saw an American oystercatcher protecting its chick from the wind, under her wing. A flightless cormorant was spotted bringing a present to his mate and right after that, mating with her, in front of everyone’s eyes. And in the middle of the trail I found this beautiful bird of prey, the main predator of the Galápagos, the Galápagos hawk.
We are in the richest and coolest part of the Galápagos Islands; therefore we began early, enjoying Roca Redonda before breakfast, as there was so much waiting for us along the day. Roca Redonda is a great nesting site for many species of seabirds. This area is also well known for the abundance of marine mammals such as cetaceans, and indeed we saw bottled-nosed dolphins. They were fishing in the rich waters around the rock, but took their time to bow ride the Polaris and play with us for a little while. Just before crossing the Equator line we had a glimpse of a Bryde’s whale. Most of our guests happened to be on the outside decks ready to take pictures of the line, and that’s when we saw the whale, blowing a few times, then disappearing in a mysterious and tree dimensional world, the deep sea. After the whale was gone, Dark-rumped petrels got our attention, and lead us to the Equator. Once we received our certificates signed up by King Neptune himself, we spotted ocean sunfish in front of the ship. It was one sighting after another. A non-stopping parade of animal species and amazing landscapes.
During the snorkeling we found dozens of sea turtles, and in the afternoon we saw lots of Galápagos penguins and flightless cormorants. Some people witnessed how a sea lion tried to tear apart an octopus, and some others saw an American oystercatcher protecting its chick from the wind, under her wing. A flightless cormorant was spotted bringing a present to his mate and right after that, mating with her, in front of everyone’s eyes. And in the middle of the trail I found this beautiful bird of prey, the main predator of the Galápagos, the Galápagos hawk.
