We arrived to the western side of the enchanted archipelago, being welcomed by calmed seas. During our early navigation, we spotted a pod of about 300 common dolphins, having great chances to photograph them and enjoy this morning show, a great way to start our day. The geological features on this island could not have been more dramatic; all the titan volcanoes of Isabela Island were seen along the coast, standing on this seahorse-shaped island. Soon, we crossed the equator line and had a surprising celebration on the bow of the ship, where we all became shellbacks and got permission from King Neptune to explore the blue heart of the planet.
Our first morning expedition led us to go on a Zodiac ride along the coast of Punta Vicente Roca, located at the northern site of Isabela. We were amazed by the huge cliffs found in the area and all the variety of species we found on the coast and in the water such as iguanas, Pacific green sea turtles, sea lions, flightless cormorants, and some Galapagos penguins fishing along the coast. Then, we went further into the open ocean and we spotted an ocean sun fish, the largest bony fish in the world. After the ride, we went snorkeling with sea lions, penguins and many sea turtles. It was a magical snorkeling outing, although the water was a bit refreshingly chilly.
During the afternoon we had a dry landing at Punta Espinoza, the only visitor site of the island of Fernandina, where we encountered flightless cormorants, a small colony of Galapagos sea lions, and thousands of large marine iguanas basking under the sun and beginning the breading season.
This was another magical day in paradise!
