Isabela
Today we started our day on the largest island in the Galápagos Archipelago, which is also shaped like a sea horse, Isabela. Located in the western area of the archipelago, this island holds the largest population of reptiles in the Galápagos.
After our breakfast we landed at Urbina Bay, situated at the flank of Alcedo Volcano. This area has one of the most recent geological uplifting occurrences in the Galápagos. Over 1 square km of seabed ended up a couple of meters above sea level, exposing the largest coral reef known in the Galápagos. It is an outstanding place where huge heads of coral are part of the landscape of this area.Giant tortoises and land iguanas were spotted this morning, as well as many curious juveniles Galápagos hawks that were staring at us. After the hike, we got the chance to cool off in the cold waters of Urbina Beach; it was the best way to finish our morning’s activities.
In the afternoon our anchorage point was Tagus Cove; a very popular place for whalers and buccaneers in the past. The conditions at this site were perfect for aquatic activities, so we organized: kayaking, snorkeling and a Zodiac rides. Penguins, flightless cormorants, blue-footed boobies, marine iguanas, green sea turtles and big schools of fish were the highlights of this site.
Later in the afternoon, a hike was offered to explore a very historic place were the tradition in the past centuries was to write graffiti on the volcanic walls made of tuff stone, the oldest graffiti found near the landing spot is from 1836, just one year after Charles Darwin visited the same area.
At the end of the day we had our recap and briefing for the next day, while we started our navigation to our next destination.
