Southern Isabela
As we reached the southern part of Isabela Island, we headed out for an interesting walk and a chance to experience the very pristine habitats in this enchanted archipelago.
Not a whole lot of visitors come to this particular site, Urvina Bay at the very base of Alcedo volcano, the central and western shore of Albermarle, though it’s full of interesting surprises. There are coral heads, colorful land iguanas and young giant tortoises living in a habitat that can only suit them. It gave us a wonderful opportunity to talk about the physical adaptations of their skin and shells necessary to be able to make it in this region.
As we counted iguanas on the path, we were in a landscape dotted with beautiful reddish-yellow cotton flowers, and the colors of the vegetation made it a bit more challenging to recognize the reptiles. The two hours of the walk went by pretty quickly, and we could not have been more satisfied with the extraordinary colorful experience.
Punta Moreno in the afternoon was at its best. We moved National Geographic Islander between Sierra Negra and Cerro Azul, the most beautiful and perfect shaped volcano of the whole archipelago. This afternoon we were surrounded by blue skies – it was magnificent.
Our group divided into three for activities here. Walkers set out along the very jagged and rough lava field of Punta Moreno to find the promised oasis where flamingos had been feeding for a while. Zodiac riders experienced a quiet afternoon in the mangrove lagoons, looking at different species of rays that swam in their harmonious home. And finally the snorkelers had the best snorkel of the week – they saw scores of Pacific green sea turtles eating the algae that lives along the coast of Southern Isabela.
Wow, what an incredible experience! Although the water temperature was cold, these gentle creatures attracted all of us like magnets. It wasn’t easy to say goodbye to them today, after an hour-long snorkel. As we headed back to the National Geographic Islander, we clearly understood why these rich ecosystems need to be protected, not only for humans to enjoy, but most importantly for the creatures that live on them. It’s their home and they have the right to it.
As the day goes by, we can hardly wait to see what is there for us tomorrow…
