Isabela Island, 11/8/2022, National Geographic Endeavour II
Aboard the
National Geographic Endeavour II
Galápagos
Isabela Island is the largest island in the Galapagos, and it has five main active volcanos. Each volcano is active every couple of years.
After successful programs to eradicate the introduced animals that caused the most harm to the islands, Isabela has made an amazing recovery. Now the island provides many different visitor sites. It is great to be surrounded by so many endemic animals and active volcanoes in this part of the archipelago.
Walter was born in a very small town on the mainland of Ecuador. His first trip to the Galápagos was when he was 12 years old, visiting friends and aunt, who had moved to the islands. From the first moment he saw the Islands, he fell in love with the...
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Floreana Island was amazing as always. It was a very active day, with excellent kayaking, snorkeling, and superb hikes to enjoy the flora and fauna. We learned about the ecosystems on the island and the conservation efforts happening in this beautiful archipelago. We had a blast today and look forward to more adventures exploring these magical islands.
Today we explored two of the most beautiful central islands of the Galapagos. We visited Rabida Island before breakfast and found sea lions, blue-footed boobies, and were so lucky to find flamingoes feeding in a beautiful brackish pond. We also had our first snorkeling excursion of the week. In the afternoon, we disembarked to explore the coast of Puerto Egas on Santiago Island. Here we observed marine iguanas resting along the rocky shores and many seabird species.
The first full day of expedition on the oldest island of the archipelago was an amazing surprise box. After a safety briefing, we received our snorkel gear and some of us headed to Tortuga Islet in Gardner Bay for our first “deep-water snorkel.” Others practiced in shallower waters at the beyond-description beach with white sand and a turquoise bay. After this first encounter with the marine world, we returned to National Geographic Endeavour II for a quick change and then a Zodiac ride to the beach to stroll, swim, and observe the graceful sea lions in their natural habitat. We took this opportunity for photos, while they were peacefully laying on the beach. By midday we moved from the eastern side of Española Island to the western side for a visit to Punta Suarez. This is the only site at the Equator where waved albatrosses breed, and we witnessed the first ones arriving. We observed female marine iguanas fighting for a burrow, the blowhole, as well as the Española mockingbird and lava lizard. What a unique visit we had, and we’re looking forward to more!
