Today we explored the west of the archipelago. In the early morning, we went around a very famous rock formation called Roca Redonda. This is a special spot isolated from the major islands where we found sea lions, dolphins, many marine birds, and a very unique plant species. And that was just the beginning of the day!
Right after breakfast, we crossed the equator aboard National Geographic Islander II and witnessed the magnificence of the inside of the Ecuador Volcano. Then, we anchored in the nearby bay of Punta Vicente Roca where we explored the rocky coastline in Zodiacs. We observed and enjoyed the dramatic cliffs and rock formations with volcanic lava flows, dikes, bombs, and marine birds perched on the walls. In this same place, we found the very famous Galapagos penguins hanging out with the Galapagos flightless cormorants.
In the afternoon, we visited Fernandina Island, the youngest island of all, where we were received by a welcome committee of hundreds of iguanas. This island is young enough to have retained the features of a newly formed island. We witnessed the forces of erosion, lava fields, and lava flows. This is the time when marine iguanas molt their skin in the beginning of the dry season. The cold water is good news for the marine iguana population. They have a challenging time during the hot season, and now they recover slowly, eating the algae that grows in the cold water. The end of the day was appropriately punctuated by a beautiful sunset.
