Fernandina and Punta Vicente Roca, 9/23/2024, National Geographic Endeavour II
Aboard the
National Geographic Endeavour II
Galápagos
Today we awoke in the most western region of the Galapagos. We began our day on Fernandina Island with great sightings, starting with seeing two blue whales swimming in Bolivar Channel. We followed this with a great walk where we were able to see thousands of marine iguanas, some Galapagos hawks, snakes, and sea lions.
After lunch we sailed to Punta Vicente Roca where we explored the coast using our Zodiacs. The geological formations in this area are stunning and so is the wildlife.
Born and raised in the Galápagos, Roberta Schiess Bahamonde’s grandparents were among the first permanent inhabitants of Santa Cruz Island, arriving from Switzerland in the 1940s. Her mother is also a naturalist guide in the Galápagos, so this is a p...
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We are about to finish our expedition in the Galapagos Islands on board National Geographic Endeavor II and today we are visiting the heart of this unique archipelago. Santa Cruz Island is the most populated island and also holds one of the largest populations of giant tortoises. In the morning, we visited the installation of the Charles Darwin Research Station where different conservation projects for many species of the Galapagos are undertaken. We also went to the Giant Tortoise Breeding Center. In the afternoon we visited the highlands, home of the giant tortoises and the perfect place for spending time among these fascinating creatures.
We are back among the center islands of Galapagos, and the day started with a pre-breakfast Zodiac ride where we had the chance to observe the seabirds of the area in action. We enjoyed several excursions throughout the day, always admiring the beauty of this part of the world. We finished this wonderful day with a delicious open-air barbecue on the observation deck under the stars.
The western islands of the Galapagos Archipelago offer a very young, diverse environment, including our first visit of the day at Urbina Bay. In the early nineteen fifties approximately two square kilometers of sea floor were uplifted, in certain areas up to four meters out of the ocean. All that we encountered today was colonized after the fifties, including the Galapagos giant tortoises from the Alcedo Volcano population and the Galapagos land iguanas. It was also interesting walking among new vegetation including a forest of poison apple trees. The afternoon brought us to Tagus Cove at Western Isabela Island. This is a famous anchorage for numerous vessels, including the HMS Beagle with the young Charles Darwin onboard in 1835. We explored along the coast in kayaks, Zodiacs, and by snorkeling, which brought us close to Galapagos penguins, Pacific green sea turtles, and flightless cormorants. As the late afternoon was upon us, we were able to hike to Darwin Lake with an incredible view of the surrounding volcanic terrain, like a place at the beginning of time.
