We navigated a short distance across the Boliva Channel between the western Islands of Fernandina and Isabela, and shortly before dawn we dropped anchor in Urbina Bay. Wellness specialist Maria led a group in stretching exercises on the sky deck as the day dawned hot and cloudless. Following breakfast we had a choice of doing a long two mile walk or a shorter ¾ mile option.
Everyone disembarked on a steep black sand beach where we could see the recent tracks of a sea turtle that had come ashore the night before to either nest or just search for a nest site. This beach is a major turtle nesting area and, although the peak nesting season is now over, some nights a female turtle will still crawl out of the sea and spend hours digging her deep nest and laying 60-80 soft shelled eggs in the sand. The eggs then incubate for a couple of months before the hatchlings emerge and rush to the sea.
We hiked this morning in an area that was uplifted in the early 1950’s. Magma shifted below the crust of the earth and pushed what had once been under the sea up and above the ocean. We found huge exposed coral heads and much evidence of marine organisms that once encrusted the rocks on the ocean floor.
We were surprised, as we followed the long trail, to find a giant tortoise! Because it has not rained now for several months most of the tortoises that live here near Volcan Alcedo are up on the rim of the crater where there is green vegetation and plentiful food for them during this time of year. All of us—long and short hikers—found several large yellow land iguanas. These big reptiles are fearless and seemed to pose patiently for our many pictures!
The morning had clouded over and we were grateful – this hike can be very hot when we have a cloudless sky. Once back at the beach we were delighted to watch a long and ongoing feeding frenzy. Pelicans and penguins dove and splashed after a huge school of tiny fish. The penguins swam around us, the pelicans splashed down beside us, and we tried to take pictures of all the action. At noon we reluctantly left the beach and returned to the ship for lunch and a siesta.
Our afternoon was one of choices - kayaking or snorkeling, then a second round of kayaking or a hike or Zodiac cruise along the shore. Everyone had a marvelous time no matter what they decided to do! The snorkelers had clear – but cold – conditions and we saw an amazing array of fish, sea birds, and of course the ubiquitous sea lions, too. The kayakers paddled along the protected chore of Tagus Cove as sea turtles and sea lions surfaced beside them. Two groups of our guests joined naturalists Tommy and Jonathan for a two mile roundtrip hike along the rim above Darwin Crater Lake. The view they had from a small cinder cone of Darwin and Wolf volcanoes to the north was spectacular.
