Our day began this morning with a short navigation along the coast of Isabela to reach Urbina Bay at the base of the Alcedo volcano. At about 2,796 square miles, Isabela Island is the largest island in the Galápagos group. Created by the fusion of six enormous shield volcanoes, the island itself represents half of the total land mass of the archipelago.
Located on the western coast of Isabela, Urbina Bay has a deep geological and historical background. In 1954, about one square mile of the bay’s coastline was uplifted by as much as 15 feet. The event happened so fast that marine creatures were left high and dry and exposed to the sun and air. On our walk, we could see some evidence of this occurrence (sea worms, shells, white coral, and barnacles attached to rocks far from the coastline) as well as evidence of an old beach now isolated from the ocean by the uplift!
Besides the geological importance of this site, Urbina offers the opportunity to see giant tortoises in the wild as well as large land iguanas. Today was no exception, but we were surprised to find them very close to the trail near the beach and in large numbers! We saw a total of 18 tortoises and 9 iguanas!
We saw small, medium, and large tortoises, some eating and resting. Some walked along the trail, leaving unique tracks behind them. Meanwhile, most of the iguanas were basking and warming up.
The island was as verdant as ever and Darwin finches, Galápagos mockingbirds, doves, and flycatchers were busy nesting.
After a short but pleasant rain cooled us off, some guests went for a quick swim in the calm waters of the bay.
Back onboard, our undersea specialist, Cindy, held an information session on the ROV, our remotely operated vehicle, so guests were able to ask questions and learn about this high-tech exploration tool. Then our naturalist, Gilda, gave a very interesting talk about Charles Darwin, who visited the Galápagos in 1835.
Our lunch today was special, as guests were able to taste Ecuadorian food. Happy with all the choices of dishes, especially the desserts, we were ready for our afternoon activities.
These activities took place in the historic bay of Tagus Cove, a few miles north of Urbina Bay. Here, some interesting historic graffiti can be found near the landing, as many wayfarers over the centuries have sought and found a sheltered harbor and an easy access to the island.
We explored the cove and the fascinating coastline by deepwater snorkeling, kayaking, and Zodiac rides to find Galápagos penguins in and out of the water, as well as the unconcerned flightless cormorants diving and fishing, among many other species commonly found in this area. Other guests preferred to explore the island by hiking up to the rim of a tuff cone overlooking famous Darwin Lake and beyond.
A day full of activities, choices, and nice surprises!
