Northern Isabela & Fernandina Islands
In the early hours of the day we entered the western realm of the Galápagos archipelago. We were greeted by beautiful calm seas and a warm gentle breeze that accompanied us all day long. Lynn, our Expedition Leader, made an early call as she spotted large spouts in the distance. We were delighted to find Bryde’s whales, attracted to this area because of the nutrient-rich waters. We tried to stay near them, but they busy feeding and swam erratically away from our curious eyes.
We kept sailing, and found a great surprise: out of the blue, suddenly hundreds of common dolphins were leaping out of the water, jumping up high into the air. We stayed with them for a long time. Here in this part of the Pacific ocean, common dolphins are not so “common”; they do not follow ships like other dolphins, although we have seen them becoming less shy with ships over the years.
Right after crossing the Equator line, we got into our Zodiacs and explored the coast line of Punta Vicente Roca. There we observed green sea turtles of all sizes, Galápagos flightless cormorants, penguins, marine iguanas, sea lions and the always amazing ocean sunfish. Later on, we went snorkeling with sea turtles and had the most amazing time.
As we left Punta Vicente Roca, we headed towards Fernandina Island. For the first time, we believe saw about 12 Bryde’s whales all over Bolivar’s channel.
Once we arrived and dropped anchor, we then headed to Punta Espinoza. Fernandina Island is the youngest island in the archipelago, and is commonly named as everyone’s favorite island. We walked over black lava that looked as if it erupted just yesterday.
On Fernandina, the number of marine iguanas and their size made a big impression on us. Some males were fiercely defending their territories. Some won, some lost. We saw one male with a bleeding nostril. Not too far away, a couple of cormorants were seemingly oblivious to the battles, busy mating and building their nest.
It was amazing to realize the amount of wildlife we found in this place today. From far away, the scenery looks barren and inhospitable, but when you get close, it’s a whole different story. We can now understand why these islands are called “Encantadas” (enchanted islands) We left Fernandina behind while the setting sun made the volcanoes of Isabela appear red.
In the early hours of the day we entered the western realm of the Galápagos archipelago. We were greeted by beautiful calm seas and a warm gentle breeze that accompanied us all day long. Lynn, our Expedition Leader, made an early call as she spotted large spouts in the distance. We were delighted to find Bryde’s whales, attracted to this area because of the nutrient-rich waters. We tried to stay near them, but they busy feeding and swam erratically away from our curious eyes.
We kept sailing, and found a great surprise: out of the blue, suddenly hundreds of common dolphins were leaping out of the water, jumping up high into the air. We stayed with them for a long time. Here in this part of the Pacific ocean, common dolphins are not so “common”; they do not follow ships like other dolphins, although we have seen them becoming less shy with ships over the years.
Right after crossing the Equator line, we got into our Zodiacs and explored the coast line of Punta Vicente Roca. There we observed green sea turtles of all sizes, Galápagos flightless cormorants, penguins, marine iguanas, sea lions and the always amazing ocean sunfish. Later on, we went snorkeling with sea turtles and had the most amazing time.
As we left Punta Vicente Roca, we headed towards Fernandina Island. For the first time, we believe saw about 12 Bryde’s whales all over Bolivar’s channel.
Once we arrived and dropped anchor, we then headed to Punta Espinoza. Fernandina Island is the youngest island in the archipelago, and is commonly named as everyone’s favorite island. We walked over black lava that looked as if it erupted just yesterday.
On Fernandina, the number of marine iguanas and their size made a big impression on us. Some males were fiercely defending their territories. Some won, some lost. We saw one male with a bleeding nostril. Not too far away, a couple of cormorants were seemingly oblivious to the battles, busy mating and building their nest.
It was amazing to realize the amount of wildlife we found in this place today. From far away, the scenery looks barren and inhospitable, but when you get close, it’s a whole different story. We can now understand why these islands are called “Encantadas” (enchanted islands) We left Fernandina behind while the setting sun made the volcanoes of Isabela appear red.
