After a long navigation from Rabida Island, we arrived to the westernmost part of the archipelago: Isabela and Fernandina Islands. We woke up surrounded by six active volcanoes: Five in Isabela and one in Fernandina. We were at Canal Bolivar; the landscape was amazing and the air was cold.
We went to the outer decks at 6:15 AM to start our activities. Bolivar Canal is the place where the deepest and coldest waters are. These two factors result in a rich ecosystem—the richest waters on the Islands are found here. Only several minutes into our activity, some of our guests were lucky enough to spot a very special and uncommon creature—a blue whale! The largest animal on the planet! It was incredible to witness. Shortly after a while searching, we were lucky enough to find a second species for the day: a Bryde’s whale!
We continued our navigation to Punta Espinoza, the only visitor site allowed on the pristine island of Fernandina. We disembarked to find an island full of life! Hundreds of marine iguanas were basking on the lava, we were amazed by the courtship of flightless cormorants, and of course we laughed with the charismatic Galapagos sea lions. We walked on new lava fields, where only a few pioneer species of plants are able to grow, such as the endemic lava cactus.
We came back onboard to cross the canal again towards Isabela Island. Our next visitor site was Punta Vicente Roca. This cove is home of lots of marine turtles, our first outing was a snorkeling activity where we enjoyed the unique experience of swimming with these incredible reptiles. The waters where cold, but it was worth it! Flightless cormorants and fur seals were spotted, as well as many different species of fish! Afterwards, we went back to Punta Vicente Roca to enjoy a Zodiac ride along the shores.
It seemed that the day was over… but we still had one more activity! We were all invited to the bridge to witness the crossing of the Equator line! We had a wine tasting on the outer deck, a ceremony to commemorate the moment and, to end this perfect day, an amazing sunset, the kind you can only see out on the ocean!
