Isabela and Fernandina Islands
Fernandina and Isabela, on the westernmost side of the Galápagos Islands, are the youngest of them all; located only a couple hundred kilometers away from the hot spot, these two islands of the archipelago remain volcanically active and have eruptions constantly.
In the morning, Fernandina welcomed us with a big colony of marine iguanas at the landing area, the iguanas here in Punta Espinoza, are known as the giant marine iguanas of the Galápagos, their incredible size is due to the abundance of algae found in the area. At this time of the year iguana hatchlings are beginning to emerge out of the nests. We needed to be extremely careful not to walk on top of them. The Galápagos snakes are the natural predators of the reptiles; we did find one hiding in the crevices waiting for its prey.
To walk among the lava in Fernandina is like going back in time; lava cactuses have colonized the bare flows and are making the very first fertile soils where other species of vegetation can eventually be successful.
Snorkeling offers a unique opportunity to share the waters with the Pacific green sea turtles that inhabit the area—it was probably one of the greatest experiences of the week. The tameness of these creatures was contagious and allowed us all relax and enjoy the water activity to its fullest.
The northern part of Isabela is also known to us as the "head of the seahorse" for the island’s shape; we can clearly distinguish the shield shaped volcanoes that make oceanic islands. Today, we begin to understand how geological time has shaped the archipelago.
The productivity of the waters around here or the abundance of nutrients, brought here by the cold countercurrent of Cromwell that hits the islands at the very base and up-wells to the surface. The up-welling is in this case responsible for the abundance of marine wildlife found in Isabela and Fernandina and from here, the nutrient-rich water spread into the central part of the archipelago.
The light in the afternoon as we took our magnificent Zodiac ride along the coast of Isabela, together with the volcanic landscape, filled us with Equatorial energy as we enjoyed the sunset and a glass of champagne!
