We woke very early to National Geographic Islander navigating the northern part of Isabela Island. It wasn’t more than a few moments just after sunrise that we were joined by a large pod of common dolphins surfing our wake and flocks of sea birds fishing about. Following breakfast, we had a fun ceremony while crossing the equator and took pictures with the flag of Ecuador representing the equator line.
At Punta Vicente Roca we had a Zodiac ride and partook in a remarkable snorkel. Here we saw penguins, sea lions, numerous Pacific green sea turtles, rays, and a variety of reef fish.
In the afternoon we visited Fernandina, the youngest and one of the most pristine islands of the Galapagos archipelago. Here we walked over “fresh” lava fields, where we witnessed a portrait’s worth of marine iguanas, flightless cormorants, hawks, and sea lion pups nursing.
After the hike, at the sundeck, we enjoyed a beautiful sunset and a wine tasting offered by our restaurant staff and recounted the day’s offerings. This was certainly a memorable one for our time in the enchanted archipelago.
