Isabela and Fernandina Islands
Today we arrived to the island of Isabela in the Galápagos Archipelago. We were eager to begin exploring one of the youngest areas of the western islands. Early in the morning we saw some pilot whales, before breakfast, and a marvelous landscape decorated by the presence of Wolf Volcano, the largest in Isabela. Once we were fed, we reached our first destination of the day: Punta Vicente Roca. Our exploration started with a Zodiac ride in order to experience the marvels that were found in the coastal area: Blue-footed boobies resting on the cliffs, brown noddies nesting on the tuff volcanic material, and Galápagos sea lions swimming in the area. The highlights of the outing were definitely the presence of Galápagos penguins on the rocks, and flightless cormorants that were opening their wings hoping to dry them.
Once back on board, National Geographic Islander provided access to some of the best snorkeling of the week. As we jumped into the water the marvels of the Galápagos Marine Reserve were revealed to our eyes. The presence of different kinds of reef fish made the perfect color contrast against the lava rocks found in the area, but the stars of the show were the Pacific green sea turtles with their magical movements as they were swam swiftly past. Of course, the most remarkable experience for the kids was to enjoy the presence of a Galápagos penguin relaxing on the surface a few feet away from us.
After lunch, we started navigating towards our next destination: Fernandina Island. In the afternoon the adventure got even better, and as soon as we landed on Fernandina the wonders of a magical world were shown in a spectacular way. Marine iguanas covered the young lava rocks from the beginning to the end of the hike. We did not miss iguanas, really. Once we reached the farthest point of the trail, we enjoyed a magnificent view of Fernandina and Isabela Islands decorated by the monumental shield volcanoes found in the area. The Galápagos Islands provided a great experience today. That was another day in paradise…
