The Galápagos! Day3&4

Day 3 Friday 30 November

Started a little later (only half an hour). Wake up at 7:30, breakfast at 8 and then we set off on our first activity for the day. We were anchored at Elizabeth Bay on the western side of Isabela Island.

On our first little boat ride around the bay we found, blue footed boobies, marine iguanas, pelicans and flightless cormorants.

Penguins and turtles!

Our afternoon activity was snorkelling

Later in the afternoon at Moreno Point we crossed some black lava flows to find small lagoons where flamingoes live. The lava sounded like walking on broken terracotta, and it was amazing to think anything would be able to survive in such a barron place. But sure enough we found a little oasis and some flamingoes, pink from the keratin of the shrimp they eat.

We had a panoramic view of 3 volcanoes, the most active in the Galápagos: Sierra Negra and Cerro Azul on Isabela Island and La Cumbre on Fernandina Island.

The day ended with a BBQ dinner and a Lava Herron stealing a prawn.

Day 4 Saturday 1st December.

This morning we woke at Tagus Cove on the northwestern coast of Isabela. This is a historical site visited by Charles Darwin in 1835, where graffiti had been carved into the rock walls by visitors over the centuries until just before the Galapagos National Park was established in 1960. Again a dingy ride to admire the variety of seabirds and marine life.

Yet again the animals did not disappoint. Penguins, sea lions, marine iguanas, flightless cormorants, Sally Lightfoot crabs, storm petrels-that appear to walk on water.

We took a walk past some sleepy stinky sea lions-who were blocking our path- to Darwins lake. The morning cloud cleared for us so we could enjoy the view of the lake and the view up Isabela island which is the largest in the archipelago with 6 volcanoes.

Later in the morning we snorkelled in Tagus Cove, turtles, sea lions and beautiful starfish.

After lunch we headed to Espinosa Point in the north west part of Fernandina Island. Fernandina is the youngest of the Galápagos and considered the best-preserved and only pristine island in the world. It also has the largest marine iguana colony.