What a fantastic day! Today aboard the National Geographic Endeavor II we had the opportunity to choose many different activities to explore Isabela, the largest island in the archipelago. Early in the morning, we started visiting Urbina Bay, a black sandy beach located on the rim of Alcedo Volcano. As we walked along the trail, we had close encounters with yellow land iguanas and giant Alcedo tortoises! After the hike, some guests returned to the ship by Zodiac and others did a mega-swim, swimming back to the ship from the shore of Urbina Bay beach. Today we had a delicious traditional Ecuadorian buffet lunch where we learned the proper way to eat ceviche.
In the afternoon, the National Geographic Endeavour II moved to Tagus Cove. In this beautiful and protected cove, guests had the opportunity to paddleboard, kayak and snorkel surrounded by marine life including curious Galapagos penguins. When we finally were getting ready for our second hike of the day, the Galapagos Islands started showing their power; Sierra Negra Volcano erupted! Sierra Negra has the biggest caldera in the Galapagos Island, and one of the largest in the world. The National Geographic Endeavour II pulled up its anchor and set course towards the eruption, and our guests had the chance to watch the beautiful scene as the colors of the sunset blended into the eruption!
