The breeze welcomed us to the western side of the Galapagos, where volcanoes rise above the sea and a remote geological landscape invites explorers from all over the world to admire its beauty. After breakfast, 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 his kingdom.
We decided to go on a Zodiac ride along the coast of Punta Vicente Roca, located at the northern area of the seahorse-shaped island. We were amazed by the huge cliffs and the variety of species found on the coast and in the water—iguanas, Pacific green sea turtles, sea lions, fur seals, flightless cormorants and Galapagos penguins. 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 brisk and choppy.
In the afternoon we had a dry landing at Punta Espinoza, the only visitor site on the island of Fernandina, where we encountered thousands of large marine iguanas basking in the sun. It is the beginning of the breeding season and some iguanas were fighting over territory. We also spotted a few flightless cormorants roosting along the intertidal areas next to small sea lion colonies. Galapagos hawks bid us farewell at the end of the path, inspiring us to continue our expedition.
