NW Isabela Island and Fernandina Island
Oh my gosh!!! Where do I start? Today was one of the most extraordinary days I’ve had in all my years of working in the Galápagos Islands.
The day started out overcast as we approached Roca Redonda in the northern waters off the coast of Isabela Island. The sea birds were all over the place, including the ship! An immature laughing gull, a winter migrant to the archipelago, so badly wanted to perch on our railings in front of the bridge that it landed a couple of feet away from the early risers enjoying their coffee and the scenery. Then a red-footed booby was spotted flying by, interspersed with storm petrels, shearwaters, terns, Nazca boobies, frigatebirds, tropicbirds and fur seals, sea lions, all focused on feeding on small fish brought to the surface by tunas or mackerels. What a scene! Even the dorsal fins of bottle-nosed dolphins were spotted, though they were fishing and not so interested in bow riding the Polaris.
We arrived at Punta Vicente Roca for Zodiac rides along the shore, and instead found Killer whales in the area. Zodiacs down, people in, and we took off for a spectacular two hours with these kings of the ocean. Our Video Chronicler managed to get footage of the large male as he approached the Zodiac pushing a bow wave red with blood from a sea lion (?) it had just trapped; the female and juvenile dove beneath the Zodiacs from one side to the other, and bow to stern, with all of us squealing in excitement above. The ocean sunfish wasn’t too far behind in excitement levels, viewed later when we finally head back to the ship to prepare for our snorkeling expedition.
And that’s another story: Pacific green marine turtles in the shallows, a flightless cormorant pecking at the camera, penguins fishing, octopus, scorpionfish. We frankly didn’t want to get out of the water, but more was in store.
Just when everyone was taking a break after a delectable Ecuadorian traditional lunch, a sperm whale was sighted near a pod of over 1,000 common dolphins! Unfortunately the sperm whale sounded just as I got onto the bridge in preparation of the ship-wide announcement, but the dolphins were there, in great numbers and much action.
King Neptune brought us much luck today, so we thank our new shellbacks for their good fortune.
Oh my gosh!!! Where do I start? Today was one of the most extraordinary days I’ve had in all my years of working in the Galápagos Islands.
The day started out overcast as we approached Roca Redonda in the northern waters off the coast of Isabela Island. The sea birds were all over the place, including the ship! An immature laughing gull, a winter migrant to the archipelago, so badly wanted to perch on our railings in front of the bridge that it landed a couple of feet away from the early risers enjoying their coffee and the scenery. Then a red-footed booby was spotted flying by, interspersed with storm petrels, shearwaters, terns, Nazca boobies, frigatebirds, tropicbirds and fur seals, sea lions, all focused on feeding on small fish brought to the surface by tunas or mackerels. What a scene! Even the dorsal fins of bottle-nosed dolphins were spotted, though they were fishing and not so interested in bow riding the Polaris.
We arrived at Punta Vicente Roca for Zodiac rides along the shore, and instead found Killer whales in the area. Zodiacs down, people in, and we took off for a spectacular two hours with these kings of the ocean. Our Video Chronicler managed to get footage of the large male as he approached the Zodiac pushing a bow wave red with blood from a sea lion (?) it had just trapped; the female and juvenile dove beneath the Zodiacs from one side to the other, and bow to stern, with all of us squealing in excitement above. The ocean sunfish wasn’t too far behind in excitement levels, viewed later when we finally head back to the ship to prepare for our snorkeling expedition.
And that’s another story: Pacific green marine turtles in the shallows, a flightless cormorant pecking at the camera, penguins fishing, octopus, scorpionfish. We frankly didn’t want to get out of the water, but more was in store.
Just when everyone was taking a break after a delectable Ecuadorian traditional lunch, a sperm whale was sighted near a pod of over 1,000 common dolphins! Unfortunately the sperm whale sounded just as I got onto the bridge in preparation of the ship-wide announcement, but the dolphins were there, in great numbers and much action.
King Neptune brought us much luck today, so we thank our new shellbacks for their good fortune.
