Isabela & Fernandina Islands, 12/5/2022, National Geographic Endeavour II
Aboard the
National Geographic Endeavour II
Galápagos
Today we spent the day exploring the western realm of the Galapagos Islands. We visited Punta Espinoza on Fernandina Island and Punta Vicente Roca on Isabela Island. Our day was remarkable because we observed some of the most iconic of the endemic species in the Galapagos, including Galapagos penguins, fur seals, and marine iguanas. This was only the beginning, and tomorrow we will continue exploring the western region of the archipelago.
Javier grew up on Santa Cruz island where his grandparents first arrived in the 1940´s. Veritable pioneers, his grandparents settled in the highlands where they found a place to raise their children.
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Our expedition day started with a pre-breakfast hike at Cerro Dragon to see the land iguanas. They were along the trail basking in the early morning sun. Also nearby were flycatchers, and at one point five of them surrounded the group as if they were joining in our hike. After a delicious breakfast, we got ready for our second activity of the day, which was snorkeling along Northern Santa Cruz. Afterwards, we had plenty of sunshine to enjoy while watching wildlife in Borrero Bay by Zodiac cruising and kayaking. To end our day, we celebrated with a wine tasting on the sky deck during sunset while we circumnavigated Daphne Major. It was a full day of exploration aboard National Geographic Endeavour II .
Visiting Santa Cruz is always a key part of this expedition. During the morning walk through Galapagos National Park and the Charles Darwin Foundation, we enjoyed and learned all about the work these two institutions have done to help preserve such an important site. We spent the afternoon surrounded by farms and tortoises, which inspired us to be in contact with nature and to appreciate the benefits we get from it. Giant tortoises are the highlight of this island, and they never disappoint us!
Today we had an optional early wet landing at Cormorant Point’s visitor site to search for flamingoes and turtles. We also had a fun opportunity to see a few sea lions, Sally Lightfoot crabs and many birds. We returned on board for breakfast as we repositioned to our snorkeling site. Today’s underwater wildlife was surreal. Sea lions, a variety of fish species in a range of colors, turtles, sharks, rays, and more. We are currently experiencing the changing seasons, and the sea life is mating because warmer water more quickly incubates the eggs into embryos. We were back on board for lunch as we repositioned again heading to the world-famous Post-Office Bay. We exchanged post cards left from prior visitors hoping to have them hand-delivered, just like the ones our guests are leaving behind today. Some of us opted for kayaking, snorkeling, or a pleasant walk at the beach. This evening, we enjoyed the recap and briefing about our next destination. We are now deeply united with this magical feeling of coexistence and respect for one another inspired by this special place, the Galapagos Islands.
