Day 3 Oct 28
Overview || Day 1 – North Seymour || Day 2 Isabla Island – Punta Flores and Fernandina – Punta Espinosa || Day 4 – Rabida Island and Santa Cruz – Cerro Dragon || Day 5 Santa Cruz and Puerto Ayora || Day 6 Floreana – Post office Bay and Punta Cormorant || Day 7 – Santa Fe and South Plaza || Isabela Island Day Trips || Santa Cruz Day Trips || Sierra Negra
Make a wet landing at Urbina Bay after breakfast. Here you can find corals, shells, and many other calcareous organisms exposed above water. This area is also home to large and very colorful Galápagos land iguanas, giant tortoises (occasionally); a good spot to observe Darwin’s finches. Along the shoreline, after the hike, guests may encounter flightless cormorants and see penguins while snorkeling in this beautiful cove. There will be lunch on board.
On the northwest of Isabela, secluded Tagus Cove provided a favorite anchorage for pirates and whalers over the centuries. Old graffiti is still found on its walls. The vegetation in the area includes the fragrant palo santo trees. These white-barked trees are leafless and look dead most of the year. An uphill hike takes guests to the back of Darwin Crater, filled with salt water. The view at the end of the trail is worth the climb. Darwin is one of Isabela’s six volcanoes, a remarkable contrast to the lower islands to the east of the archipelago. There will be opportunities to swim, snorkel or kayak. There is no beach in the area, so these activities are done from the Pangas. Enjoy a briefing and dinner in the evening.
Sunday brought sun and clear skies again! Another 7:30am breakfast then a short hike on the beach of Urbina bay where we saw Land Iguana’s, Land Tortoises that live more inland but come down here to nest and the ever ubiquitous Marine Iguana. We had a short hike, some people swam, then lunch, then a Snorkle then a short hike to Darwin Lake at Tagus Cove.
Jean-Luc at Urbina Bay
Galapagos Hawk
Land Iguana – Lee’s scabby legs fascinate it
Marine Iguana
Land Tortoise which comes from Alcedo Volcano to lay their eggs.
Land Iguana – note distinctive yellow colour. They eat predominantly Prickly Pear Cactus which is also where they get their water.
Marine Iguana and Panga
Back at La Pinta some Frigate Birds were hanging out with us.
Today our towels were Penquins!
mmmm more food!
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Some people took a dip in the Ocean before lunch.
After lunch we went for a snorkle
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Saw Sea tortoises and lots of fish!
In the afternoon we went for a hike to Tagus Cove, a popular place for Whalers and Pirates hundreds of years ago.
We did a short hike through the Paleo Santo Forests to the Salt Water filled Darwin Lake
Where we could see La Pinta below.
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When we got back our towels were Cuttle Fish!
Isla Isabela; Urbina Bay and Tagus Cove/Darwin Lake – Oct 28, 2012 from Lee Lau on Vimeo.