This is our second day along the west coast of the largest island of Galapagos, Isabela. Our day started early in the morning with a spectacular view of Alcedo, Darwin, Sierra Negra and Cerro Azul volcanoes, all of them active and majestic. At 8:00 o’clock our Zodiacs took us to Urbina Bay; we disembarked on a very small black beach. Urbina is an incredible place that few years ago was undersea but in 1954 suddenly was uplifted in few minutes. It was along the new sea shore where we started to walk to see the remains of fossilized creatures such as sea worms, sea urchins, and huge coral reefs. We could imagine how they were literally boiled by the high temperatures and poisonous gases released during that geological event. Walking inland we observed how new vegetation invaded the new coast, being almost impossible to observe the old terrain that lied underwater before.

When we just started our walk we found giant tortoises basking under the sun. Our avid travelers were astonished of seeing these incredible reptiles; after the dense dry vegetation there were no impediments to observe many unperturbed land iguanas along the trail warming their yellowish bodies laid on the ground. We observed many endemic and native plants such as yellow cordias and Galapagos cotton trees, whose yellow flowers attracted many different species of insects such us wasps and bees. Finches and yellow warblers were singing everywhere, and red-breasted lava lizards were pushing up their bodies to thermo-regulate their temperature. At the end of the trail we found more evidence and vestiges of coral and marine creatures than one day lived on this place. Along the shoreline cormorants, marine turtles, and marine iguanas were seen on the black lava. Back on the beach some of us went to cool off in the temperate ocean, where the swimming was great.

In the afternoon we motored on the National Geographic Endeavour to Tagus Cove, a hidden bay located at the foot of Darwin Volcano. Our outings began with kayaking along the coast where our guests could observe enigmatic creatures such us flightless cormorants, penguins, sea turtles, and sea lions; the weather conditions were excellent with a calm sea and clear water. After kayaking, we headed outside the bay to snorkel where we observed colorful fish such as grunts, parrots, harlequins, puffers and eagle rays, nurse sharks, green sea turtles, and a flock of penguins in a feeding frenzy swimming like torpedoes beside us.

Our last activity was a power hike, and we disembarked on volcanic rocks to get to Darwin Lake. The hike took place with perfect and windy weather as we observed a unique landscape with the lake and the ocean as background. On the trees finches, mockingbirds, and yellow warblers were the delightful of our guest who took many pictures of them.

It was late when we arrived at the end of the trail, where a gigantic lava field as mute witness showed the volcanism of the archipelago. All landscapes were turning orange with the last beams of sun as telling us the sunset was approaching; in our minds we remembered this magical place called Galapagos.