We awoke to a bright early morning at Urbina Bay, with calm seas and high clouds. The summit of Alcedo Volcano could be seen in the distance, and the white frothy line along the volcanic coast of Isabela are great omens for a fantastic morning. After breakfast, we prepared for a wet landing on the volcanic sand of Urbina bay, our guests were offered the option of a longer hike along the intertidal zone and the inland part of the island. The groups were divided into short and long hikes, and everybody managed to see an incredible amount of Darwin finches, mockingbirds and the yellow land iguanas. The naturalists explained the importance of conservation programs to restore this island, and about the reintroduction of native and endemic species.
After both hikes, our travelers had the opportunity to jump in the water to freshen up, and then we returned to the ship. Right before lunch we had a lecture on Darwin and the Galapagos, followed by a great buffet of Ecuadorian delicacies.
The ship repositioned to the north of Isabela to our visitor site for the afternoon, known as Tagus Cove. Here we offered several kayaking rounds and deep water snorkeling outings along the cliffs of the cove. Many animals were spotted from the kayaks, such as Galapagos penguins, flightless cormorants, sea turtles and pelicans. The deep water snorkelers had a close encounter with flightless cormorants, pacific green turtles and rays.
After all of our guests had returned from the water activities, we had a dry landing on a gentle slope of Darwin lake. We climbed to the top and walked along the rim of the cone to get to a lookout point at the end of the trail, to gaze over the northern side of Isabela Island and Darwin Volcano. What an incredible and exciting walk—great landscapes, great lighting and great people.
