Isabela and Fernandina Islands
Today we had a magnificent experience in the living paradise of the Galápagos Islands by exploring the youngest area of the archipelago—the western islands. An early morning marine life observation was the best way to begin our expedition as we sailed past northern Isabela Island. A marvelous landscape decorated by the presence of Wolf Volcano was revealed to our eyes. While navigating along northern Isabela, we were surprised by the presence of bottlenose dolphins. There was another superb surprise as a Fin whale appeared in the area leaving us awe-inspired.
Once we were done marveling the Galápagos marine life, we reached our first destination of the day: Punta Vicente Roca. The best way to begin exploring was to take a Zodiac ride in order to experience the marvels that were found in the coastal area: Blue-footed boobies resting on the cliffs, brown noddies nesting on the tuff volcanic material, and Galápagos sea lions swimming in the area. The biggest highlights of the activity were definitely the presence of Galápagos penguins on the rocks, and flightless cormorants that were opening their wings in a phoenix-like shape.
Once back on board the National Geographic Islander it was time to go enjoy the underwater world in a deep water snorkeling activity. As we came into the water, the marvels of the Galápagos Marine Reserve were revealed to our eyes: the presence of different kinds of reef fish offered the perfect color contrast against the lava rocks found in the area. Pacific green sea turtles made perfect for a magical moments as they were swimming all over the place; but the most remarkable moment was to enjoy the presence of a Galápagos penguin relaxing on the surface a few feet away from us.
Once we pulled anchor, we started navigating towards our next destination: Fernandina Island. In the afternoon the adventure just got better, and as soon as we landed on Fernandina, the wonders of a magical world were shown in a spectacular way. Marine iguanas covering the young lava rocks were found from the beginning to the end of the hike. Once we reached the farthest point of the trail, we enjoyed a magnificent view of Fernandina and Isabela Islands decorated by the monumental shield volcanoes found in the area. At the end of exploration, we appreciated a charming moment as the sun set behind the prevailing La Cumbre Volcano. The Galápagos Islands adventure is a marvelous experience that lasts for a lifetime, and today we experienced one of the emblematic areas of this living paradise.
