Today National Geographic Islander sailed to Urbina Bay, an area that was uplifted in 1954. Urbina Bay is at the base of Alcedo Volcano. Here, the population of giant tortoises have flourished after a huge restoration effort aimed at eradicating goats was introduced. Goats, not native to the island, were destroying the region’s delicate ecology. We also spotted a few land iguanas.
In the afternoon, we moved north to Tagus Cove, a site that Charles Darwin visited during his five-week trip to the Galapagos. We saw dozens of penguins, flightless cormorants, horn sharks, and many other species that are unique to these productive waters.
