During the night, National Geographic Islander navigated to the western area of the archipelago. We woke up very early in the morning to look for whales during sunrise. We were lucky enough to spot a group of dolphins and manta rays jumping out of the water. As we returned to the stretching class up on the sky deck, a family of orcas surprised us as they looked for something to eat in the area.
After a delicious breakfast, we had a celebration as we crossed the equatorial line. Then we got to explore Punta Vicente Roca with a Zodiac ride. We snorkeled in the same area. It was very nice to see sea lions, marine iguanas, flightless cormorants, penguins, and sea turtles from the Zodiac…and then right in front of us during the snorkeling.
We enjoyed a traditional Ecuadorian Andean Lunch. We had time for a siesta, and then we visited Fernandina, the youngest island in the Galapagos. It was hard to keep our attention focused on one spot. There was something incredible to see in every single corner of the island. Sea lions nursed babies, sea turtles swam around, Galapagos hawks hunted, and a Sally Lightfoot crab made a meal out of a rat. The Galapagos Islands never stop surprising us.
Photographers: Ixora Berdonces, Cristian Saa, and Cindy Manning
