In the early morning hours, Captain Pablo Garces asked our crew to haul up the anchor, and he took the National Geographic Islander across the channel that separates Fernandina and Isabela Islands to anchor in Urbina Bay. This is a unique area in Galapagos, because it was uplifted sometime around 1954, exposing a quarter mile of shoreline that had been underwater for centuries. On the morning hikes, we could still see the evidence – old coral heads and encrusting tube worms - that the area where we were hiking had once been ocean bottom!
After a delicious buffet breakfast, we landed on a steep black beach and divided up for our choice of two walking options: a leisurely nature walk with photography opportunities, or a two-mile exercise hike. On both hikes, we were delighted to find several large land iguanas and a few giant tortoises. The morning was hot, and when we returned to the beach we eagerly stripped down to our bathing suits for a welcome swim.
Salvador invited the children to join him in Ruben’s Zodiac, and together they gave panga driving lessons, and the kids took turns zigzagged over the waves and around the ship. Everyone had fun and drove safely! Back on board the National Geographic Islander we enjoyed lunch and siesta while we navigated north to anchor in Tagus Cove. This afternoon’s options included snorkeling, kayaking, hiking and Zodiac rides.
Two groups of kayakers went with Jonathan and then with Jeffo along the shore in Tagus Cove. They saw sea turtles, sea lions, flightless cormorants, pelicans and even a few penguins. Three Zodiacs of snorkelers – this is a snorkeling group! – swam with those sea turtles, penguins, cormorants plus a dozen species of fish, and a few of us saw an unusual horn shark!
As the afternoon cooled off, Salvador and I led hikers up the steep slope of a tuff cone under the pal santo trees for a scenic view of Darwin’s Lake and the ship anchored in the cove. We hiked inland and climbed a spatter cone, reveleaing a marvelous view to the north of Darwin and Wolf volcanoes. Jonathan took the Zodiac cruise along the dramatic cliffs, and he and his group took some wonderful cormorant, booby, sea lion and penguin photos. As the sky blushed pink in the east, we all returned to the ship. Satisfied once more after yet another marvelous day in the Islas Encantadas.
