Fernandina & Punta Vicente Roca (Isabela Island)
The day began with clouds early in the morning and when the sun rose the clouds dispersed. Early in the morning the photographers went to Fernandina Island to take advantage of the light for better pictures. Later all of our guests were in this place, the youngest of the Galapagos Islands. Some consider this the jewel of the crown because it’s a very pristine place with some unique creatures, like the largest marine iguana and flightless cormorant, among other species. After the sun and the temperature rose we left this nice walk to enjoy and relax with some snorkeling.
The water temperature at the west of the Galapagos Islands, between Fernandina and Isabela, is cooler do to the presence of the upwelling current of Cromwell that brings lots of plankton, followed by different fish species. Also we had the chance to see creatures like sea turtles, penguins and flightless cormorants feeding. At midday it was time to go back to the National Geographic Endeavour to get changed for lunch, take some short siestas, or take in a lecture.
This afternoon, we were at Punta Vicente Roca which is a volcano that half-collapsed to the bottom of the ocean a long time ago. Here we get on Zodiacs for a long ride along the shores to find different animals like fur seals, penguins, flightless cormorants, and marine iguanas that had climbed these lava walls. After having a good time capturing these creatures in our memories, we went back to the National Geographic Endeavour and crossed the equator line. Suddenly we found a good surprise - hundreds of common dolphins jumping around while the sun, with an intense orange color, set on the horizon.
What a day! These good moments will become permanent memories, which will travel anywhere we go. We thank nature for this day.
