Isabella is the largest island in the Galapagos made up of five and a half volcanos with most of them still active. In the morning we set out for a hike at a place called Urbina Bay. Black sand where sea turtles nest was our landing place. We put our shoes on and we were ready to follow a loop trail heading inland and then along the shore. Right at the beginning we encountered some small tortoises from the nearby Alcedo volcano population. They spend their first years of life here before they find their way to the summit only to return later to nest if they are females.
Other reptiles of the area are the beautiful yellow land iguanas and the lava lizards. Now they walk where water used to flow as a consequence of magma shifting underneath. This location now lies approximately 12 feet higher than before. Evidence of this shift are millions of broken shells and large pieces of bleached coral now with vegetation growing on and around it.
After a short hike for some guests and long hike for others, we finished the morning at the beach for a cooling dip in these now temperate waters.
The ship moved to our next destination, Tagus Cove which is where pirates, whalers and other early visitors used to drop anchor; some for the giant tortoises and others just for the tranquility of its waters.
Evidence of their visits is graffiti hand carved deep in the volcanic ash. It is a great place to enjoy water activities like kayaking and snorkeling, for the area offers a wide variety of wildlife like penguins, cormorants, sea lions, iguanas, turtles and more. This can be all seen and enjoyed from the water, a kayak or from the Zodiac, all offered to our guests to maximize their experience.
To conclude the afternoon some people headed on land for an invigorating hike up and along a crater lake with hipersaline water and surrounded by interesting local flora where some land birds can be seen.
It was a fantastic day in the Galapagos!
