Isabela & Fernandina Island
The day is bright and clear, the sky blue, and the breeze feels light. The National Geographic Polaris circumnavigates Roca Redonda, the remnants of an ancient volcano, whose walls have been collapsing and moving back in the presence of implacable waves carving and eating the rock away. The birds in a synchronized and frenetic dance, fly back and forth along the ledges of the cliff to rest or nest: Galápagos shearwaters, Red-billed tropicbirds, Nazca boobies and even sea lions participate in the beginning of this day; windy or not, it is so beautiful and needs to be lived.
Some time ago this was a destination for large numbers of giant sperm whales (amongst others) that were looking for warmer waters in which to mate and calf before going back to the Antarctic. Whalers from all around the world killed them by the hundreds to near extinction. Now these waters are protected and are part on one of the biggest marine reserves of the world.
We are now heading south, and getting prepared to see the big yellow line dividing mother earth into two halves: the equator!! There it was as promised, we had a little bump and crossed to the southern hemisphere, along the impressive wall of Ecuador Volcano, two thirds of this volcanoe is lying six thousand feet into the ocean, perhaps caused by a catastrophe some one hundred and fifty thousand of years ago. The cliffs here come to life: giant marine iguanas sunbathing, blue-footed Boobies whistling to nearby passing females, sea lions basking, and Sally Lightfoot crabs scuttling along. Spotted here are members of the third smallest penguin species in the world, the Galápagos penguin, and also the only flightless cormorant in the world. Offshore in the open seas, a big dorsal fin is sighted like a shark moving straight to us just bellow the surface; it was the odd-looking fish that resembles a disk with two big paddles on each extreme called the Mola mola or ocean sunfish.
Punta Espinoza is the only visitor site on the west side of the Galápagos. Located on the northeast edge of Fernandina Island, this is the site of the youngest and one of the most active volcanoes of the world, carpeted by a’a’ and pahoehoe lavas. Large colonies of marine iguanas sunbathe and forage from the abundant algae in very shallow water; here the crabs are bigger and more colorful than on the other islands. Flightless cormorants come back from the water with their seaweed presents to build their nests in which they will lay two or three eggs; this is the only place where you can find them, they have lost the ability to fly due to the lack of predators and the abundance of food near the rocks. Their vestigial wings are not going to lift up a heavy bird any more, but their feet and tail are large enough to propel themselves and change direction underwater while pursuing bottom-living creatures, such us octopus and eels.
The sun is setting, and as it disappears on the horizon, the red rays of light cover the island with a mythical and magical majesty.
It has indeed been another wonderful day in paradise.
The day is bright and clear, the sky blue, and the breeze feels light. The National Geographic Polaris circumnavigates Roca Redonda, the remnants of an ancient volcano, whose walls have been collapsing and moving back in the presence of implacable waves carving and eating the rock away. The birds in a synchronized and frenetic dance, fly back and forth along the ledges of the cliff to rest or nest: Galápagos shearwaters, Red-billed tropicbirds, Nazca boobies and even sea lions participate in the beginning of this day; windy or not, it is so beautiful and needs to be lived.
Some time ago this was a destination for large numbers of giant sperm whales (amongst others) that were looking for warmer waters in which to mate and calf before going back to the Antarctic. Whalers from all around the world killed them by the hundreds to near extinction. Now these waters are protected and are part on one of the biggest marine reserves of the world.
We are now heading south, and getting prepared to see the big yellow line dividing mother earth into two halves: the equator!! There it was as promised, we had a little bump and crossed to the southern hemisphere, along the impressive wall of Ecuador Volcano, two thirds of this volcanoe is lying six thousand feet into the ocean, perhaps caused by a catastrophe some one hundred and fifty thousand of years ago. The cliffs here come to life: giant marine iguanas sunbathing, blue-footed Boobies whistling to nearby passing females, sea lions basking, and Sally Lightfoot crabs scuttling along. Spotted here are members of the third smallest penguin species in the world, the Galápagos penguin, and also the only flightless cormorant in the world. Offshore in the open seas, a big dorsal fin is sighted like a shark moving straight to us just bellow the surface; it was the odd-looking fish that resembles a disk with two big paddles on each extreme called the Mola mola or ocean sunfish.
Punta Espinoza is the only visitor site on the west side of the Galápagos. Located on the northeast edge of Fernandina Island, this is the site of the youngest and one of the most active volcanoes of the world, carpeted by a’a’ and pahoehoe lavas. Large colonies of marine iguanas sunbathe and forage from the abundant algae in very shallow water; here the crabs are bigger and more colorful than on the other islands. Flightless cormorants come back from the water with their seaweed presents to build their nests in which they will lay two or three eggs; this is the only place where you can find them, they have lost the ability to fly due to the lack of predators and the abundance of food near the rocks. Their vestigial wings are not going to lift up a heavy bird any more, but their feet and tail are large enough to propel themselves and change direction underwater while pursuing bottom-living creatures, such us octopus and eels.
The sun is setting, and as it disappears on the horizon, the red rays of light cover the island with a mythical and magical majesty.
It has indeed been another wonderful day in paradise.
