Isabela and Fernandina Islands, 3/15/2023, National Geographic Islander II
Aboard the
National Geographic Islander II
Galápagos
Today we spent the day exploring the western realm of the Galapagos Islands. We visited Punta Vicente Roca on the north side of Isabela Island and Punta Espinoza on Fernandina Island. This was a remarkable day because we observed some of the most iconic of the endemic species in the Galapagos, such as Galapagos penguins, sea lions, and marine iguanas.
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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Española Island is one of the jewels in the crown of the Galapagos Islands. This island is inhabited by countless endemic species that can be observed as you spend some time here. During the morning, we enjoyed the white sandy beach in Gardner Bay, where sea lions were our greeting party and Española mockingbirds were very curious about our visitors. The water was crystal clear, so a deep-water snorkeling took place at Gardner Islet just off the beach. Sea lions swimming with our guests was the highlight! In the afternoon, we put on our hiking boots and explored Punta Suarez, a visitor site with an overwhelming amount of wildlife. Waved albatross, Nazca boobies, blue-footed boobies, marine iguanas, sea lions and lava lizards were just a few of the species that can we observed here.
Floreana Island is currently in the process of restoring its ecology. This island is very diverse, offering visitors multiple choices of activities, from rich human history to great wildlife walks to amazing underwater explorations. We also found the very old postal system from whaling times and the only one that still uses the honor system. Today, visitors to Post Office Bay can participate in this old tradition of leaving a post card or taking a post card for hand delivery. In the afternoon we enjoyed great snorkeling, watching sea turtles, sea lions, rays, and many species of fish. To end our day on Floreana, we visited Cormorant Point, a place with diverse wildlife. This offered great opportunities for photography with the backdrop of the beautiful scenery.
Our first full day started early in the morning at Bartolome Island. We disembarked, ready to hike 372 wooden stairs all the way to the summit of this wonderful island. While we hiked, this island offered us stunning views of the archipelago, and of course, one of the most iconic views of the Galapagos, the unique Pinnacle Rock. Our day was just starting, as we returned to National Geographic Islander II for a delicious breakfast. With new energy, we had a snorkeling excursion around Pinnacle Rock where we found Galapagos penguins, Galapagos sea lions, whitetip reef sharks, and colorful fish. We spent the afternoon at Santa Cruz Island at a visitors’ site called Cerro Dragon. We looked for the unique Galapagos land iguana, a magnificent reptile that often rests near the trail surrounded by lush vegetation. This adventure was the perfect beginning to this fantastic trip.
