Tuesday April 8. Off the east coast of Isabela is Fernandina, one of the youngest of the Galapagos Islands. So, even meagre vegetation gives way to mostly lava flows. As we ate lunch the ship cruised the short distance to Fernandina. This time we had a “dry” landing which means you can attempt to not get your feet when dis-embarking. This in contrast to a “wet landing” where you need to jump into shallow water to reach the shore. Quite refreshing but you get you feet covered in sand. I’m still mastering both techniques.
We landed at Punta Espanosa. I don’t need to tell you about the welcoming committee - Marine Iguanas
Definitely only a Mother could love them. Aparently they spend most otheir time heating their bodies during the day. They feed on algae in the water. In doing so, they breath in some salt water which they get rid of through their nostrils in a fast spray of liquid. You could describe this as them blowing snot on the tourists. They are so oblivious to humans you need to be very careful not to step on one by mistake since they plonk down anywhere, even on our designated pathway. There were plenty of other animals on the lava flow. I’ll put more pictures in my gallery.
Today was a busy, rewarding day - zodiac cruise, snorkeling and communing with the marine iguanas. After cocktails on the sun deck of the ship, watching the sunset, followed by a nice dinner. The whole ship had crashed by 9pm.