*Our Galapagos trip was from 28 November 2017 to 9 December 2017. The first 8 days were spent on board the Samba Cruise, and the subsequent 4 days on land.
We spent the entire day exploring the remaining parts of Isabela Island, the largest of all Galapagos Islands (its land area is larger than all the rest of the other islands combined!).
Exploring Mangroves at Elizabeth Bay
The morning started with a panga ride to the mangroves at Elizabeth Bay. There was a full moon the night before, which meant that we would be experiencing the lowest tides, so it would be perfect for us to spot more wildlife! Yay! 🙂
Our first impression of Elizabeth Bay was that it had such pristine and clear waters. We could literally see the sea floor from our panga! The mangroves looked healthy; they were lush and abundant.
Our first encounter with wildlife at the mangroves was a group of Galapagos Penguins comprising 3 adults and 7 juveniles. They were foraging for food. These penguins are the only species of penguins to live in mangroves.
Almost immediately after, we saw a school of Golden Rays coming towards us. They surfaced occasionally and we caught glimpses of their white under bellies. They were so graceful and beautiful. ❤
As we entered the mangroves, we were greeted by Galapagos Green Turtles on numerous occasions. They were in the mangroves to feed and get cleaned of parasites and barnacles. The clear waters also allowed us to see lots of reef fish and corals.
We managed to spot Galapagos Brown Pelicans for the first time; they were stooped on tree branches and waiting to dive into the waters for their next kill. We saw a Lava Heron whose legs had turned red, indicating that it was ready to breed.
There were several groups of Flightless Cormorants perched atop wet rocks and drying their wings too.
Just as we thought that things were starting to get a little quiet, a Sea Lion whizzed past us and playfully did a little dance underwater, flashing its underbelly for all to see. Such a charmer!
Sailing Canal Bolivar: Sightings of the Bryde’s Whale and Witnessing a Great Feeding Frenzy
We returned to the Samba after a good 2 hours on the panga, and continued sailing into Canal Bolivar, towards the southern tip of Isabela. Canal Bolivar is the richest strait in the Galapagos, and it certainly lived up to its name. We spotted the Bryde’s Whale, which emerged from the surface of the water about 8 times before disappearing underneath, and lots of big fish like Tuna coming to the surface for food.
Just then, a whole swarm of Blue-Footed Boobies appeared, and started plunging into the water like torpedoes! It didn’t take us long to realise that we were witnessing first-hand a feeding frenzy – one of nature’s most spectacular events – right here in the heart of the ocean. The boobies were soon joined by Frigatebirds, which attempted to snatch their freshly caught meals from their beaks. About 10 minutes later, the dolphins arrived to join in the feeding frenzy! The entire event lasted about 40 minutes. It was spectacular and we felt like we had walked straight into a Nat Geo documentary.
Watch the dramatic scene unfold in the video below! 🙂
Afternoon Hike at Punta Moreno: the Hot Spot
In the afternoon, we went for a hike at Punta Moreno, which was located at the northern coast of Isabela Island. It is an area formed entirely of hardened lava from the eruption of volcanoes nearby. We felt like we were walking on the moon! There were lava tubes everywhere, and our guide told us that we were exactly where the hotspot responsible for the formation of the Galapagos was located! Cool. Check out the awesome Pahoehoe lava picture we managed to take. #cuegeonerd
We then continued walking until we saw two oases and the first signs of life on this barrenscape – Galapagos White Cheeked Pintail Ducks and a solitary Galapagos Flamingo. At the second oasis, we saw two sea lions frolicking in the water. When they noticed us, the came over to check us out!
On the way out, we saw another group of Galapagos Penguins and Marine Iguanas.
The day continued with us sailing and spotting random animals like the Waved Albatross.
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Our 6th day ended with us pouring through books on the Samba to learn more about what we had encountered in the day. We also had some good conversations with our fellow travellers, that comprised geologists, marine biologists and conservationists. We learnt so much from them. 🙂
Thank you for visiting our humble travel blog! Stay tuned for our next update on our 7th day in the Galapagos Islands – coming your way soon! 😊
*This is a non-sponsored post.
Much love,
Three Wandering Bears 