Today, we landed on the largest of the enchanted islands. After a dry landing, we walked further inland, in search of the colossal land iguanas and their nesting grounds. We were welcomed by several species of birds around the greenery, but we also happened to run into the great giants of this archipelago; the Galapagos giant tortoises, walking along the path, and munching on some of poison apples.
It is fascinating to walk on an area that was once the bottom of the sea, and now it has become the natural habitat of giant reptiles like the tortoises and a vast variety of endemic and native vegetation. This process, known in biology as secondary succession, describe when life establishes again on an area previously inhabited by organisms but destroyed by a natural disaster. This uplifting of the ocean floor was registered in 1954.
In the afternoon, we traveled to Tagus Cove. This is the perfect place to snorkel with penguins, brown pelicans, flightless cormorants, sea lions and pacific Green sea turtles. We also had the opportunity to go for a Zodiac ride along the coast of Isabela, hoping to spot some penguins out of the water and have a relaxing time under some light rain, surrounded by major volcanoes and the stunning geological features of this visitor’s site. Some of us chose to do a hike around a crater lake with a stunning view of Darwin volcano at the end.
It was another great day, full of exploration in the Galapagos!
