Isabela is the largest island of the Galápagos; it is 4,640 square kilometers (1,790 sq. mi). This island was named in honor of Queen Isabella of Spain, who sponsored Columbus’s voyage around the new continent, and it is also known to British as Albermarle after the Duke of Albermarle. The island formed approximately seven hundred years ago, and today it is made out of six volcanoes that have merged together.
Early in the morning, many of our guests joined us at the sundeck for a whale search, while we were on our way to Punta Vicente Roca. It was a relatively calm morning, and we could finally see the shape of the young volcanoes that have made the island. The southern ones remain volcanically active, with eruptions every other year or so…
We started with a snorkeling excursion and a Zodiac ride along the coastline of Isabela; there we enjoyed the playful and graceful Galapagos sea lions that were swimming around our Zodiacs. We could not believe how many sea turtles shared their waters with us during our snorkeling excursion, what an extraordinary experience, we became one of them and they didn’t seem to mind us looking at them closely. Meanwhile, on the Zodiacs, we found different species of shore birds such as brown noddies, blue-footed boobies, and brown pelicans. A big highlight of the day was seeing the Galapagos penguins and the sea lions that shared rocks like best friends!
In the afternoon we made our way to Fernandina. Also known as Narborough Island, it is the third largest and the youngest island in this chain, and it erupted last in 2009. Fernandina is considered the “jewel on the crown” because it one of the most pristine places in the globe. As we got on land to start our walk the “dragons of the Galapagos” gave us a cordial welcome to the island. Hundreds of marine iguanas, the only sea going lizards in the world were basking on the lava, while others were still feeding in the cold waters of the bay. We found the flightless cormorants that just came back ashore after fishing. Sea lions and sea turtles were sighted in the tidal pools that get formed during low tide. Once again, we were pleased and delighted with the plethora of wildlife that we encountered on these beautiful islands.
