So over night the boat has been sailing and we will be introduced to Fernandina Island and Isabela Island today.
After a better sleep but still esrly rise (4.30am) we are all given the opportunity to go to deck at sunrise to see the landscape of the islands as well as to try to see Dolphins and Wales as we are in the furthest West Side of the Galapagos Islands. We are lucky and get to see a big group of Dolphins Swimming along with us. Beautiful as the sun is going up to see these creatures.
After breakfast we disembark onto Fernandina Island, the youngest of all of the Galapagos islands. And what a treat it is. We have beautiful weather whcih make the colours of this Island highlight even more. As all the Islands, you can identify that it is a Volcanic Island. We are bought face to face with Marine iguanas. By the thousands. All just sitting there in the sun or fighting with one another. There are so many that you seriously have to be careful not to step on them. At the same time, again a lot of sea lions and cubs are all just sitting amongst the iguanas. There are no seals in Galapagos, and only sea lions (by the way, you can tell the difference going forward, because sea lions habe external ears and seals not, just a small tip from the Ecuator :-)).
We can also see crabs, Sallyfield ones, a unique Galapagos Hawk which is Endemic to the galapagos and the biggest predator there is on land in the Islands. Turtles in the water popping their heads up and down. Lava lizzards running arpund everywhere and sitting on iguana's heads. All of this on a backgrounf of thr Islands volcano and the sea. It is stunning scenary today and apparently this is the favorite Island of the naturalists and you can see why!
Back to the boat which is off to take us to Isabela Island while we have a light lunch out on the deck. After this we get geared up again and we are dropped off at Punta Vicente Roca for more snorkeling. And what a sight we come across. TURTLES swimming with us. And not one or two, but thousands. I mean it feels you are only surrounded by them. You have to be careful not to be head banged by one! At the same time of course there are plenty of interesting fish to see and apparently some people got to see the endemic and unique Galapagos Penguin (the only penguin in the Ecuator of which they 1500 of them aprox) but I didnt get to see whilst snorkeling.
Back for a quick change of clothes after snorkeling to jump back into the zodiacs to travel along the same bit of coast to see the animals from above, we get to see Blue Footed Boobies, Turtles and PENGUINS :-). So cute!!! We also see Giant Manta Ray's. I mean these are huge and could be as big as a tablecloth for a 10people table!!! So glad i didnt get to see them whilst in the water. We also get to see for thr first time Galapagos Sea lions which are slightly different to the ones we have seen up to now. Smaller and browner. All playing on the shore where the sea is breaking.
Back to the boat to habe a small party out on deck as we are going to sailing to cross the Ecuator again (we already did it over night...) The sun is goind down and we are all just glowing from a nice tan of 2 days. The captain announces the time of when we cross and we all out a little act to start clapping and having fun. Silly, but just a bit of laughter really.
This event is followed by dinner and then a documentary film on the Galapagos by the National Geographic. Very interesting but ready to get some sleep thats for sure!!
