This morning found us anchored in the small bay of Urbina Bay. Activities started right after breakfast with a visit to an interesting trail. We took a beautiful walk surrounded by the native and endemic vegetation of the island. A good rainy season just ended. We see the results with many Darwin’s finches flying around, including chicks and juveniles. Some of them begged their parents for food. During our morning walk, we encountered Alcedo giant tortoises, Galapagos land iguanas, Galapagos mockingbirds, yellow warblers, and even the not too common dark-billed cuckoo. There was lots of activity going on in the wild. After the walk, the Global Explorers had the chance to learn how to drive the Zodiacs.
Back onboard, naturalist Vanessa offered an interesting lecture about Charles Darwin, followed by the most delicious lunch of the expedition: our Ecuadorian lunch! We enjoyed delicious dishes from the mountain and coastal areas of Ecuador and also sweet desserts.
After lunch, we had the first round of kayaking this expedition. We saw several flightless cormorant nests, sea turtles popping their heads up in the water, and a couple Galapagos penguins on the rocks. At the same time, a snorkeling outing took place nearby.
Some groups went up the hill of Tagus Cove for a better look at the amazing landscape of Darwin Lake, and others experienced Zodiac rides in the bay to look for wildlife along the coast.
We all came back at sunset. We enjoyed the recap session and pizza and movie night for the Global Explorers. It was a nice way to finish this interesting day of expedition.
Photo caption and photographer: A semiterrestrial hermit crab exploring the sandy area of Urbina Bay. Photo by Paola Luque
