This morning we arrived at the Bolivar Channel in the mists of the early morning. This is a canal that separates the island of Fernandina from its sister island Isabela. Conditions were calm and we had smooth sailing while we looked for whales and dolphins. We anchored off Urbina Bay just after 0600. After a nutritious breakfast, we sent our folks for a long hike, led by our brave and wise naturalists, while one group chose a short hike option instead. All of us had a great outing and were both surprised and delighted to find several giant tortoises of varying sizes and a good number of large, bright yellow territorial land iguanas. The tortoise population on Volcano Alcedo is one of the largest in Galapagos, numbering around 5,000. Before returning to the ship, many of us enjoyed a refreshing swim in some pretty cold but pleasant waters.
In the afternoon we had several options to choose from: there were two rounds of kayaking, a snorkeling outing, a hike, or a Zodiac cruise. In all alternatives our guests saw cormorants, penguins, sea turtles, sea lions, and numerous other species of sea birds. Those who hiked up the dusty trail had a wonderful view of Darwin’s Lake and the lava flows at the end of our walk. As the sun was setting with orange and pink colors, we all returned to the ship happy and satisfied from another day of exploration in paradise.
