Fernandina Island
At last, to be back in this peaceful part of the archipelago. After four weeks away, nothing seems to have changed much: it’s still the most exciting day of the week. The flightless cormorant chicks seem a little older though. Four weeks for them involves a ten times increase in weight. There are also countless sea lion pups that have been born in our absence. And the number of sun fish (Mola mola) spotted on our Zodiac ride was certainly up from a month ago and back to the numbers we’re so used to.
Apart from those few differences, our day even started with the usual appearance of bottlenose and common dolphins, and wouldn’t have been complete without the sighting of a whale, which conveniently delayed our entry into the cold water for this afternoon’s snorkel. Upon entering the water however, we were pleasantly surprised at its warmth as we ventured into the isolated pools that straddle the coast of Fernandina.
The number of Galapagos penguins in the vicinity allowed everyone a good view and even a glimpse at a bit of mating activity. We even had some comments on how the penguins resemble ducks when floating on top of the water. This is true, but one major difference is that the beak of a penguin is vertical as opposed to the horizontal orientation of a ducks beak. This small beak enables the penguin to use it as a pair of scissors or a strong pair of tweezers. It is effective in a fish chase when the time comes for catching its prey by the tail and I can confirm its sharpness and accuracy having been nipped before.
This sunny day ended with a brilliant sunset over Fernandina volcano and then a magnificent moonrise half an hour later over the same magical place.
At last, to be back in this peaceful part of the archipelago. After four weeks away, nothing seems to have changed much: it’s still the most exciting day of the week. The flightless cormorant chicks seem a little older though. Four weeks for them involves a ten times increase in weight. There are also countless sea lion pups that have been born in our absence. And the number of sun fish (Mola mola) spotted on our Zodiac ride was certainly up from a month ago and back to the numbers we’re so used to.
Apart from those few differences, our day even started with the usual appearance of bottlenose and common dolphins, and wouldn’t have been complete without the sighting of a whale, which conveniently delayed our entry into the cold water for this afternoon’s snorkel. Upon entering the water however, we were pleasantly surprised at its warmth as we ventured into the isolated pools that straddle the coast of Fernandina.
The number of Galapagos penguins in the vicinity allowed everyone a good view and even a glimpse at a bit of mating activity. We even had some comments on how the penguins resemble ducks when floating on top of the water. This is true, but one major difference is that the beak of a penguin is vertical as opposed to the horizontal orientation of a ducks beak. This small beak enables the penguin to use it as a pair of scissors or a strong pair of tweezers. It is effective in a fish chase when the time comes for catching its prey by the tail and I can confirm its sharpness and accuracy having been nipped before.
This sunny day ended with a brilliant sunset over Fernandina volcano and then a magnificent moonrise half an hour later over the same magical place.
