Northern Isabela and Fernandina Islands
We woke up very early this morning in order to look for marine life and to see a beautiful sunrise appear behind Wolf Volcano, the tallest and most northern of Isabela Island’s volcanoes. During this time we saw fur seals, marine turtles, red-necked phalaropes, dark-rumped petrels, storm petrels (both white-vented and Galápagos) and shearwaters. After crossing the Equator line, we went for a Zodiac ride along the base of the cliffs of Pta. Vicente Roca, Ecuador Volcano. Here we saw a majestic fish, the “Mola mola” or oceanic sunfish. We spent at least half an hour in the area watching quite a few of these impressive animals. Upon returning to the ship, we took the water temperature. Extremely unusual for this region at this time of year, we read 67 degrees Fahrenheit! The excited snorkelers got to swim with numerous green sea turtles, and the temperature didn’t bother either!
A traditional Ecuadorian buffet lunch required a siesta afterwards, so late in the afternoon we went to shore at Pta. Espinoza, Fernandina Island, where we found one of the largest colonies of marine iguanas in the archipelago. At this time of day they are quietly digesting their food (algae), which gave us the nice chance to observe up close the behaviour of this special reptile, a unique form of life found only in the Galápagos Islands. Although one might think the coloration is for camouflage on the rough, black lava, predation is not an issue for the adult marine iguanas. Their dark grey and black colours absorb sunlight quickly, a necessary feature for when they leave the water after long periods down under eating algae. They can only digest their meal when their body temperatures reach up around 35.5 degrees Celsius.
We woke up very early this morning in order to look for marine life and to see a beautiful sunrise appear behind Wolf Volcano, the tallest and most northern of Isabela Island’s volcanoes. During this time we saw fur seals, marine turtles, red-necked phalaropes, dark-rumped petrels, storm petrels (both white-vented and Galápagos) and shearwaters. After crossing the Equator line, we went for a Zodiac ride along the base of the cliffs of Pta. Vicente Roca, Ecuador Volcano. Here we saw a majestic fish, the “Mola mola” or oceanic sunfish. We spent at least half an hour in the area watching quite a few of these impressive animals. Upon returning to the ship, we took the water temperature. Extremely unusual for this region at this time of year, we read 67 degrees Fahrenheit! The excited snorkelers got to swim with numerous green sea turtles, and the temperature didn’t bother either!
A traditional Ecuadorian buffet lunch required a siesta afterwards, so late in the afternoon we went to shore at Pta. Espinoza, Fernandina Island, where we found one of the largest colonies of marine iguanas in the archipelago. At this time of day they are quietly digesting their food (algae), which gave us the nice chance to observe up close the behaviour of this special reptile, a unique form of life found only in the Galápagos Islands. Although one might think the coloration is for camouflage on the rough, black lava, predation is not an issue for the adult marine iguanas. Their dark grey and black colours absorb sunlight quickly, a necessary feature for when they leave the water after long periods down under eating algae. They can only digest their meal when their body temperatures reach up around 35.5 degrees Celsius.
