Fernandina and Isabela Islands
Sailing, feeling the ocean breeze in one’s face, and watching volcanoes, huge volcanoes all along the way. Hoping for an eruption, hoping for the sight of a whale, and hoping for an ocean sunfish, or maybe a shark. Where could these all be? The western realm of Galapagos is the only possible answer.
Isabela and Fernandina, the westernmost islands, are just the tips of even larger volcanoes built up on the Galapagos platform, which is far deep, more than 3000 feet under sea level. Fernandina is an island and a volcano on its own. Six shield volcanoes form Isabela, each one is more impressive than the other. However, the western realm is more than just volcanoes. It is the richness of the water, because of the upwelling of the cool Cromwell submarine current coming form the Western Pacific. It is the magic of the pelagic birds such as dark-rumped petrels and storm petrels that fly and feed in the area. It is the display of marine mammals, and today we saw two kinds, common dolphins and bottle-nosed dolphins. Seemingly unaware of our presence, green sea turtles share the snorkeling site with Polaris guests.
It is the place closer to sunset, being at the western most part of Galapagos; therefore it is the closest to the sun.
Sailing, feeling the ocean breeze in one’s face, and watching volcanoes, huge volcanoes all along the way. Hoping for an eruption, hoping for the sight of a whale, and hoping for an ocean sunfish, or maybe a shark. Where could these all be? The western realm of Galapagos is the only possible answer.
Isabela and Fernandina, the westernmost islands, are just the tips of even larger volcanoes built up on the Galapagos platform, which is far deep, more than 3000 feet under sea level. Fernandina is an island and a volcano on its own. Six shield volcanoes form Isabela, each one is more impressive than the other. However, the western realm is more than just volcanoes. It is the richness of the water, because of the upwelling of the cool Cromwell submarine current coming form the Western Pacific. It is the magic of the pelagic birds such as dark-rumped petrels and storm petrels that fly and feed in the area. It is the display of marine mammals, and today we saw two kinds, common dolphins and bottle-nosed dolphins. Seemingly unaware of our presence, green sea turtles share the snorkeling site with Polaris guests.
It is the place closer to sunset, being at the western most part of Galapagos; therefore it is the closest to the sun.
