Onboard the Xpedition

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Caleta Tagus - Isabela
Punta Espinoza - Fernandina
Last night was the longest part of the cruise as the Xpedition sailed around to the far side of Isabela island, to Caleta Tagus (Tagus Cove). Isabela is the largest island in the Galapagos (this is where the Sierra Negra volcano started erupting a few weeks ago). Not many Galapagos cruises come this far due to the distance. Tagus Cove is where many of the passing whalers left graffiti on the rocks that can still be seen. This was another good climb up to the peak above Darwin Lake, a flooded volcanic crater. Afterwards during a Zodiac ride around the bay we saw more penguins and blue footed boobies and a flightless cormorant, then we saw some dolphins! We snorkeled some more and saw several green sea turtles swimming just offshore. Several of the ships crew were in the water scraping and painting the ship. After lunch, we sailed across the straight to Punta Espinoza on Fernandina Island. This was a wet landing; we had to wade through the mangrove swamps and over the lava (no wonder the Hawaiians call it ah-ah!) There were several sealions horsing around in a tidal pool. There were hundreds of iguanas here stretched out over the sand and each other. Many were bright red and green. We also saw an American oystercatcher with chick and several penguins.

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