Today was a more moderate day, waking up to spot seabirds and dolphins. We didn’t get up fast enough to see the striped dolphins but we did see bottlenosed dolphins and identified several seabirds. Most of the day followed easily with only a zodiac cruise, one hike and one snorkel session.
We were allowed to go on the zodiac cruise with the photography group and I had the chance to get many excellent p having ictures of rocks at Punta Vincent Roca—with birds, crabs, coral, and other sea life. We were treated with Galapagos Penguins and Pacific Green Sea Turtles in the area along with the Galapagos Fur Seal and Sea Lions and fun. Here's my penguin video.
The formations at this end of the Isabela Island are spectacular geologically, with lava areas, sand stone, lava tubes, uplift and interesting erosion patterns and layers. The guide was especially helpful suggesting different ways to view the area and encouraging us all to take more and more photographs. The Zodiac driver though was a real helper because he managed to give us all a look from many different directions. I managed to get several videos, Brown Noddy’s fighting over territory and sea action.
The snorkeling was an athletic event, tidewater pulling us into the rocks and a lot of murk in the water, plankton looked like snow (a later lecture showed us many different types). We saw a Galapagos Penguin shoot past, zooming through the water with ease. Sea Turtles chased us down—appearing in our faces and lying in the sand and zooming up from below us. We spotted the green sea urchins that are a specialty of the Galapagos.
In the evening, we took a walk on Fernadina Island at Punta Espinoza, the site of the most recent lava flow (2007?). The area has many, many marine iguana, who lie facing the sun to keep their body temperature at a minimum and spit out salty water they’ve consumed. The eat off the green seaweeds exposed by the tides, nibbling them in a dainty manner. The sea lions and fur seals had a lot of fun in the area body surfing in moderate surf that sloshed into bays and pulled them out. We focused on photographic techniques for a second time. The sunset turned the area steamy and dreamy.
Birds: Galapagos Shearwater subspecies of Audubon Shearwater, White-vented or Elliot’s Storm Petrel, Southern Fulmar, Flightless or Galapagos Cormorant, Galapagos Penguin, Magnificent Frigatebird, Greater Yellowlegs
Black or Pacific Green Sea Turtle, Galapagos Fur Seal, Green Sea Urchin
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