Today we sailed to the western part of the archipelago, Fernandina and Isabela. The newest Islands are strongly influenced by the Cromwell Undercurrent, which brings cold, nutrient-rich waters. Due to this, we found the largest aggregations of marine iguanas and sea turtles that feed on algae during our morning outing. We also saw the elusive flightless cormorants and Galapagos penguins. After our morning walk, we went snorkeling and saw many sea turtles, penguins, flightless cormorants and marine iguanas feeding underwater. The temperature was very pleasant, 76 degrees Fahrenheit.
In the afternoon, we visited Punta Vicente Roca, a collapsed caldera of Ecuador Volcano, one of the six volcanos that form Isabela. We saw flightless cormorants, Galapagos fur seals and marine iguanas. At around 5:45, we crossed the equator, and celebrated this event with our guests and a group of pirates that came on board for this important occasion. A wonderful way to end another exciting day of exploration in the Galapagos Islands!
