At dawn, the National Geographic Islander pulled into Urvina Bay, located on the western coast of Isabela Island, between Darwin and Alcedo volcanoes (two of the five active volcanoes of Isabela). Immediately following breakfast, everyone went ashore, some to take a vigorous long hike with challenging rocky crossings, others to avoid those and stick to the level, smooth portion of the trail leading into the interior. Wonderful Galapagos! Upon landing, we had quite the drama of over ten Galapagos penguins fishing a thick school of small fry fish, in competition with two brown pelicans – just feet from the shore! It was already a successful outing by anyone’s standards. On the trail, Darwin’s finches introduced themselves, and the Galapagos mockingbirds were starting to construct nests. Tracks in the trail led us to bright yellow and orange land iguanas, as well as hinted at the presence of giant tortoises in the area. Crashing through the brush told us where to look for the latter, and one small female tortoise held her position in the scrub motionless, perhaps bemused by these tall, slender and quick animals that made many clicking noises when happy.
Happiness was also evident when everyone returned to the beach and many, if not most, got into the water to cool off. The intrepid, who had accepted my challenge of a “megaswim”, swam back to the ship, some with fins on (like myself), but most without fins; a distance of 650 yards or 1,950 feet! Against the wind and chop!
By the afternoon, the National Geographic Islander had repositioned to the dramatic cove of Tagus, further north from Urvina Bay, but also on the western coastline of Isabela. Once inside the perfect harbor, one feels quite protected, yet also isolated from the outside world. Kayaking was a popular option, as was snorkeling; followed by either hiking or Zodiac rides along the shore. This afternoon was our last chance to see the Galapagos cormorants, as they do not inhabit the eastern islands, not even the eastern coast of Isabela Island.
Underwater, penguins whizzed by and a couple of Galapagos sea lions danced with us for a brief moment before dashing on. The serene marine turtles captured our hearts once more as they grazed the flowing seaweed; kayakers saw plenty of cormorants on shore, as colonies have appeared in the area, and at least so far, are doing well. The hikers worked hard to reach the lookout point above Tagus Cove, and in the lowering sun through a partly cloudy sky, saw a view that pirates, whalers and adventurers have also seen over the centuries.
Others chose the Zodiac as our means of transport. We cruised along the shore of Tagus Cove and said hello to a variety of species: blue-footed boobies, brown noddy terns, brown pelicans, marine turtles, flightless cormorants, wandering tattlers…and the list goes on.
As an exhausted but happy group, we convened in the lounge to talk about what had been experienced and querie what was to come next…more adventure, for sure!
