Today was our first full day of exploration around the enchanted Galapagos. The sea was very calm, and the morning was sunny and warm. We arrived early to visit Seymour Island. In this very special place, frigatebirds mate year round and boobies reproduce at this time of year. Seymour is an uplifted area. The flat terrain is covered by forests of incense trees and opuntia cacti. The ecosystem is ideal for nesting. We disembarked on the lava rocks to walk along a trail full of seabirds and sea lions. Many seabirds and reptiles inhabit this spot, such as the swallow-tailed gulls that are endemic to Galapagos. Both marine and land iguanas basked under the sun or feed on algae or plants.
Along the path, we saw many male frigatebirds with their pouches blown up to call the females. We also spotted a few blue-footed booby couples as they danced to fall in love. The wildlife is abundant and with every step, we found a creature that surprised our intrepid explorers. After the walk, we returned to our ship to move to another destination.
In the afternoon, we visited Rabida Island. This spot is very peculiar because of its red color. The island is a huge accumulation of iron oxide. The combination of the red sand beach with the green salt bushes and mangroves makes the scenery unique. While snorkeling, we explored the underwater world where playful sea lions interacted with our visitors. Multicolor fish decorated the reefs and small sea mountains. After snorkeling, we explored the shoreline by kayaks to get a closer view of herons, pelicans, and some turtles swimming by. Walking along the red beach was a great experience. A few curious juvenile sea lions came to explore us, intrigued by our presence. The frosting on the cake was the volcanic eruption. For a few weeks now, Wolf Volcano on Isabela Island has been active. Our captain took us to the foot of the impressive shield volcano where we admired the forces of Mother Nature.
We enjoyed the unique experience. It was astonishing to see the lava flows coming down to the coast at night. The sky was full of constellations, and the stars and the eruption were a great finale for such an unforgettable day.
