Friday 6th Isabela and Fernandina Islands

Overnight we sailed from Santa Cruz round the north of Isabela and by breakfast time we were anchored off Punta Vincente Roca.

After breakfast the first item on the day’s agenda was getting kitted out for snorkelling. HX supply all the equipment required, including short wetsuits. It didn’t take too long to find a wetsuit that I could fit into. As well as the other kit, I needed fins, a mask, a snorkel, and a buoyancy vest. The latter was fairly important for me initially. I wanted to snorkel, but I hadn’t done it for about forty years and had never snorkelled in deep water before. I was understandably slightly apprehensive. The buoyancy vest reassured me.

It may seem surprising that a wetsuit is needed to snorkel on the equator (Punta Vincente Roca is actually on the equator). The water in the Galapagos can be surprisingly cold. The Humboldt (a.k.a. Peru) current brings water all the way up from Antarctica, and while it does get warmer on its trip north it is still only 18-19 °C by the time it gets to the Galapagos. Spend twenty minutes in that and you will begin to feel cold.

Isabela Island – Punta Vincente Roca

It was slightly overcast when we set off in the Panga. We went initially on a tour around the base of the cliffs of Punta Vincente Roca. Our naturalist guide Alex explained the geology of the islands. The Galapagos Islands are volcanic and very young geologically. Isabela, the island we were visiting, is less than a million years old. It still has active volcanoes. The most recent eruption was in 2018.

The cliffs are home to many birds, including flightless cormorants and blue-footed boobies, as well as sea lions and Galápagos fur seals. The Galápagos fur seal is actually a sea lion, just to confuse you.

Having had our geology lesson and a close look at the wildlife, it was time to discover the underwater fauna. We were already suited up, so all we had to do was slip our masks and fins on. We had a short briefing on what to do in the water. Basically, we received instructions on how to signal the Panga and other snorkelers if we were in trouble, and how to indicate that we were okay. We were also told that sea lions are quite curious and not to worry if they decided to investigate what we were doing.

We had bought an underwater video camera before we left home. What I should have done was learn how to use it. There are a couple of fairly decent clips, which I might include in later posts, but most of the footage is, unfortunately, rubbish.

However, even though I have no photographic evidence, the experience was amazing. Within a minute of entering the water, a couple of sea lions came close enough for me to touch. Parrot fish and Yellow Tailed Surgeon Fish were everywhere. There were also several Green Sea Turtles swimming around, completely ignoring us.

This video was shot by the professional photographer/videographer on board. It is not my handiwork (unfortunately).

After our underwater excursion, it was back to the ship for lunch and to recover before our afternoon hike on Fernandina Island.

Fernandina Island

Fernandina Island is the youngest island in the Galapagos group. It is also the westernmost. It is less than half a million years old, geologically speaking, hardly even a toddler. It is still an active volcano. Its most recent eruption was in March 2024.

Geological interlude

The Formation of the Galapagos Islands

The Galapagos Islands are a group of volcanic islands situated in the eastern Pacific Ocean. They lie approximately 600 miles west of the coast of mainland Ecuador.

Geological Origins

The archipelago was created as a result of volcanic activity. This process began when the Nazca tectonic plate moved eastwards across a stationary hotspot—an area where magma from deep within the Earth rises up towards the surface.

Island Formation Process

Each volcanic eruption over this hotspot gradually deposited layers of lava. Over time, these successive eruptions built up the land, eventually forming the islands that exist today.

Variation in Island Age

The Galápagos Islands display a range of ages resulting from the movement of the Nazca Plate. Eastern islands such as Española and San Cristóbal are the oldest in the archipelago and have ceased volcanic activity, They are now geologically stable.

In contrast, the western islands, including Isabela and Fernandina, are comparatively young. These islands continue to experience frequent volcanic eruptions, indicating ongoing geological processes.

Isabela Island Formation

Isabela Island stands out as the largest landmass within the Galápagos archipelago. Its size is the result of the merging of six separate volcanoes. This unique formation has contributed to its prominence among the islands.

Physical Features

The majority of the islands possess a conical shape typical of volcanic origins. These formations are characterised by steep slopes and elevated peaks, with some summits rising more than 5,000 feet above sea level.

Back to the adventure

We had a dry landing on Fernandina, which was good as I could wear my walking shoes. The lava floes would have been a bit rough with any other footwear.

Upon arrival, our first job was to pick our way through the sea lion bodies arrayed along the shore and in the scrubland behind the beach.

In addition to sea lions, there were marine iguanas everywhere, along with a few lava lizards.

The scenery in the Galapagos Islands is generally quite rugged and barren. This is not surprising given the recent origin of the islands. The wildlife, however, is very varied. In general, the animals act as if you don’t exist, which is great, and you can get close enough to take most of your photos with your phone.

Arriving back on board, we had time for a shower and a change of clothes before pre-dinner drinks on the after deck. The sunset was spectacular. This meant that we were able to take lots of romantic looking photos.

Dinner was good, then it was time for bed, as another busy day was scheduled for tomorrow.