Today we woke near the base of Alcedo Volcano, ready to enjoy a second day in the western part of the Galapagos Archipelago. This is the least visited part of the national park. During the morning, we disembarked at Urbina Bay and walked through land that was part of the sea floor and was uplifted in 1954. Our guests observed Galapagos land iguanas, Darwin finches, Galapagos mocking birds and Alcedo giant tortoises. Some of our guests went for a longer walk where skeletons of coral were seen baking in the sun as proof of the uplift. During lunch, National Geographic Islander repositioned to Tagus Cove, where many activities were offered, to include snorkeling along the cliffs of Tagus, kayaking, a hike to the rim of the tuff cone, and a spectacular Zodiac ride along the coast. We spotted Galapagos penguins, flightless cormorants, Galapagos sea lions and shearwaters, brown noddies, blue-footed and Nazca boobies, and frigate birds.
One never tires of enjoying nature in the west of Galapagos.
