Fernandina and Isabela Islands, 5/4/2015, National Geographic Endeavour

We are now on a journey back through time as we make our way to the western part of the archipelago. Surrounded by volcanoes, we opted to search for whales and dolphin as we navigate tours of our first and only land based visitor site for the day—we are headed towards Fernandina Island, the youngest and most pristine island in the Galapagos.

Here at Punta Espinoza, we disembark on black lava rocks of all kinds of shapes and forms. Immediately we are impressed by the calmness of the area, and the number of marine iguanas. After a few minutes, we agree that it gives us a touching feeling to be among them, so close and so trusted by this tame and wonderful species. We have to be very cautious not to step on top of them, as they will continue with their lives, oblivious to our presence. Next, we encounter a large Fernandina racer, a 4 feet long constrictor snake passing by us freely with no concern nor fear. We are also lucky to see a few Sally Lightfoot crabs jumping from one rock to another, avoiding a very well camouflaged octopus, which are their main predator. This site also allows us to see the only flightless cormorants in the world. Basic and simple, this astounding place allows us to clearly see the beginning of ecology. The miracle of life succeeded regardless of its roughness, life tends to thrive in the least expected places, and we are here in Fernandina to witness it.

Back onboard, as we reposition our ship to our nest destination, we are headed northwest in search of the largest island in the Galapagos—Isabela Island.

Meanwhile, our chefs and dining room crew take pride in presenting another delicious lunch; an array of colors and spices makes this expedition an outstanding gastronomic experience. This lunch shows us that we are not “roughing it” on this journey of discovery.

Our next stop is Punta Vicente Roca, at Isabela Island, where we head out for Zodiac rides. Our search for wildlife is extremely successful, and we are surrounded by turtles, a penguins, boobies, frigatebirds, and sea-lions. All of our guests come back with big smiles, moved by this other worldly experience which will remain in our hearts forever.

Back onboard, we head from the southern hemisphere to the northern, crossing the equator, and we gather out on deck, having fun with pirates as the sun sets. We cherished this wonderful day at the National Geographic Endeavour’s bow. We are now united as one. This place has the magic of bonding us through coexistence and respect for one another, inspired by the wildlife and isolation. It is very hard to explain this intrinsic feeling my dear reader, you simply have to experience it to understand it. I truly wish you were here, but for now our expedition continues on to our next site.