The Galapagos Islands are a unique archipelago and today we had a fantastic taste of it by visiting the western Islands. The best way to begin our exploration was an early morning outing to one of the iconic places of western Isabela, Urbina Bay. A comfortable wet landing got us ready to explore. Once we started our hike the first surprise was a young Galapagos hawk that was perched on one of the trail markers.
Farther along the trail, a symphony of land birds entertained us. alapagos mocking birds flew from tree to tree, ground finches fed on the seeds on the sandy ground, and Galapagos hawks flew above us.
Once we reached the farthest point of the visitor site, it was time to enjoy the presence of one of the most iconic reptiles of the Galapagos, the Land iguanas. The splendor of the place was displayed through the colors of nature, the perfect contrast of vivid colors-green leaves, black lava rocks, and brown tree branches. At the end of our exploration, we had a delightful swim at Urbina Bay beach.
Once back on board the National Geographic Islander it was time to get everything ready in order to continue with the adventure, so we pulled anchor and started navigation to our next destination. In the afternoon exploration got even better as we got into the water to enjoy the marvels of the Galapagos Marine Reserve. As soon as we got into the water the magic of the underwater world gave us an awe-inspiring experience. Colorful reef fish were found covering the lava rocks, Galapagos sea lions were the acrobats of the water as they played with us, Pacific green sea turtles were swimming from rock to rock, and the Galapagos penguins that were found traveling together close to the coast.
The next activity was a marvelous hike to Tagus Cove, one of the most historical places of the Galapagos Islands. The radiance of the place was shown once we reached the end of the trail with a dynamic view of the northern side of Isabela Island. At the end of the excursion we enjoyed a fantastic sunset as the light made a magnificent contrast against the giant shield volcanoes. It was another great day in the Galapagos Islands.
