Today we arrived at Fernandina Island, in the western realm of the Galapagos Islands. Fernandina is the youngest island in the archipelago, and presents the unique opportunity to watch the birth and early life of a forming land mass. We started the day with a morning walk on Punta Espinoza. The island was teeming with activity, and we observed Galapagos sea lions, Galapagos marine iguanas and Galapagos flightless cormorants. After our exciting hike, we returned aboard to prepare for out next activity—exploring the underwater realm! We went snorkeling from the Zodiacs in the crisp clear waters along the coast of Fernandina, where we encountered Pacific green sea turtles, Galapagos sea lions and several species of fish.
This afternoon, we navigated towards the northwestern realm of Isabela Island. We arrived at Punta Vicente Roca and went for a Zodiac ride to explore the coast. We were able to spot brown pelicans, blue-footed boobies, Galapagos flightless cormorants, and Galapagos penguins. As we left this place behind, we lifted anchor and repositioned the National Geographic Endeavour II, heading towards to our next stop for tomorrow’s activities. As we crossed the equator, we enjoyed a delicious wine tasting, sampling local wines on the top deck of the ship as we admired the beautiful sunset.