Our expedition took us today to the western realms of the Galapagos Islands. We started the day navigating along the volcanic coastline of Isabela Island. Just after breakfast, we crossed the equatorial line.
Later in the morning, we went for a Zodiac ride along Ecuador Volcano in area known As Punta Vicente Roca. The ride was phenomenal, we spotted many animal species including Pacific green sea turtles, flightless cormorants, brown pelicans, noddy terns, blue footed boobies, Galapagos penguins, Galapagos fur seals, etc. Not only was the wildlife exuberant, but the geological setting was spectacular as well. After the ride, we got ready to go deep water snorkeling off the coast of Punta Vicente Roca. We encountered many Pacific green sea turtles, some sleeping on the bottom of the ocean, while others were very active chewing on the green algae growing on the rocky bottom. Some flightless cormorants and a couple of penguins were spotted while snorkeling as well. A couple of Galapagos sea lions played in the water with us! What an amazing snorkeling outing!
During the afternoon, we had a dry landing on the lava flows of Fernandina Island, the youngest of the Galapagos archipelago. We explored the pristine coastal ecosystems of the island. The young black lava fields are the perfect example of primary succession, as life establishes for the first time on a new terrain. Hundreds of marine iguanas were seen everywhere!
Once onboard at cocktail hour we enjoyed a beautiful sunset from the observation deck of the ship while sharing our impressions about the fascinating day we spent in this paradise.
