We navigated along the northern coast of Isabela is 6:15 in the morning. An important group of enthusiastic explorers joined the whale watching activities on this third day of our expedition.

The National Geographic Islander made its way to our first destination, Punta Vicente Roca, which is along the west coast of Isabela and the most northern visitor site of the island. It’s not a disembarkation area but it has one of the greatest Zodiac rides in the archipelago. It heads along the largest walls you’d expect close to the ocean, and an equator volcano stands right by the sea, offering an incredible view of these eroded walls as the best evidence of the age of the titan that is still active, waiting for the right time to show its magnificence.

Geology is not the only attraction in the place. A large number of birds, some unexpected in other areas of the archipelago, different sea lion species, and a gorgeous atmosphere is what we’ve got this precious morning.

After the action at Punta Vicente Roca, and some fantastic snorkeling, we set course southwest to Fernandina. Our walking area here is Punta Espinoza, and in this national park Fernandina has a very special consideration. Its pristineness, youth among the other islands, and good location make it a great stop, and we disembarked at a place where the marine iguanas were piled up around us.

After the marine iguana point we went farther into the island looking for sea lions and flightless cormorants nesting. The scenery provided by the surroundings and the island itself made this day of exploration another day to remember for a long time.