Isabela Island
Today we visited Puerto Villamil and its surrounding area. Our expedition began right after breakfast as we took some local pick up trucks to Sierra Negra volcano. There we started to walk through the very lush vegetation, a combination of ferns and introduced guava trees. The introduction of exotic species of animal and vegetation started some centuries ago when the pirates and privateers came to look for food, water, and refuge on these remote islands. Once Ecuador claimed sovereignty over the archipelago the first settlers arrived and with them came the introduced species.
Isabela Island is the largest and because of its extension the eradication of alien species have been a huge challenge. However in the last years, feral goats have been successfully removed from the northern most volcanoes giving a wonderful chance to the native and endemic vegetation to recover.
We were all very happy to reach the summit of Sierra Negra and for some minutes the heavy blanket of garua fog lifted, letting us see the magnificent caldera floor and its fumaroles. A very light smell of sulfur arrived to where we were standing reminding us that this volcano erupted just last year!
We returned to the ship for lunch and siesta, and for the afternoon we had several options. Most of us went to the giant tortoises breeding center and were marveled with the difference in size between the small babies and huge adults. After that our guests had a wonderful time playing on the beach (soccer or volleyball) while others explored the town. This wonderful day ended with a magnificent sunset.
Today we visited Puerto Villamil and its surrounding area. Our expedition began right after breakfast as we took some local pick up trucks to Sierra Negra volcano. There we started to walk through the very lush vegetation, a combination of ferns and introduced guava trees. The introduction of exotic species of animal and vegetation started some centuries ago when the pirates and privateers came to look for food, water, and refuge on these remote islands. Once Ecuador claimed sovereignty over the archipelago the first settlers arrived and with them came the introduced species.
Isabela Island is the largest and because of its extension the eradication of alien species have been a huge challenge. However in the last years, feral goats have been successfully removed from the northern most volcanoes giving a wonderful chance to the native and endemic vegetation to recover.
We were all very happy to reach the summit of Sierra Negra and for some minutes the heavy blanket of garua fog lifted, letting us see the magnificent caldera floor and its fumaroles. A very light smell of sulfur arrived to where we were standing reminding us that this volcano erupted just last year!
We returned to the ship for lunch and siesta, and for the afternoon we had several options. Most of us went to the giant tortoises breeding center and were marveled with the difference in size between the small babies and huge adults. After that our guests had a wonderful time playing on the beach (soccer or volleyball) while others explored the town. This wonderful day ended with a magnificent sunset.
