Today we woke up to a post-rain aroma, which is very characteristic during this season in the tropics. The visit to Urbina Bay was amazing today, as there were many animals that were active: finches, hermit crabs, insects, giant tortoises, and land iguanas. Every creature in the area was awake after the rainy night they had. Even the incense trees looked vibrant green due to the precipitation of the past days. Beautiful contrasting colors surrounded the slopes of Alcedo Volcano.
- Daily Expedition Reports
- 13 Feb 2024
Isabela Island: Urbina Bay and Tagus Cove, 2/13/2024, National Geographic Endeavour II
- Aboard the National Geographic Endeavour II
- Galápagos
Paola Luque, Naturalist
Paola was born in the major Ecuadorian port city of Guayaquil, raised near the ocean and rivers. Since childhood she felt a deep connection with nature, which led her to settle in the Galapagos Archipelago in 1998, on the central island of Santa Cruz...
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Santiago Island
We began our day with a very active snorkeling excursion, where some of our snorkelers saw several whitetip reef sharks, a few sea lions, and fish of all kinds. We also kayaked and went paddleboarding. The geological formations are impressive here, such as the world-famous praying monk that captured our attention while on a Zodiac ride. If that wasn’t enough, we had a few rounds of glass bottom boat rides, a fabulous tool that allows us to have a clear view of the fish, and especially those sharks. Soon after lunch, we had an adventurous wet landing on Puerto Egas, with its black sandy beach that we had all to ourselves. We walked along the shore and intertidal pools of Santiago with sightings of marine iguanas, sea lions, shore birds, and Galapagos fur seals. After cocktail hour and a fun recap, we enjoyed a barbeque dinner on the top deck.
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Isabela Island
Isabela is the largest island in Galapagos and today we had the opportunity to explore Elizabeth Bay and Punta Moreno. These two visitor sites are very close but very different from one another. Elizabeth Bay is covered with black lava and a mangrove forest, which becomes a perfect shelter for many species. The bay is home to flamingos, brown pelicans, and white-cheeked pintail ducks. This combination is a good reflection of the colonization of flora and fauna of the Galapagos.