Fernandina--Western Galapagos

area of Fernandina uplifted in 1960's

Fernandina Island, a small island, is across a narrow strait from Isabella, the largest of the Galapagos islands.  We walked on a large lava flow that was under water until the early 1960’s when the movement of the Nazca and South American Plates thrust it upward above sea level.  Today this large lava flow rises 6 to 8 feet above the ocean, so it received quite a push upwards only 50 years ago.

swarm on iguanas on rock

This is marine iguana heaven.  We saw thousands of them packed onto the black lava rocks right by the ocean.  They pile all over one another in their need to warm themselves before heading back to the ocean to feed on algae.  Because of the warmer water this year, the algae isn’t as plentiful as in colder years, so we saw quite a few iguana carcasses.  They probably starved to death for lack of sufficient algae.

marine turtle swimming withus

Cormorants sun themselves on these rocks also.  Even though their wings are too small for flight, they dry them in the sun, small wings outspread, before going back to their fishing.

A large marine turtle was also feeding on the algae in a deeper pool of water just off the lava flow.  It came to the surface for air so was clear enough for a photograph.  Later, when we snorkeled off the rocks, we saw 3 turtles, including one very large one, eating the algae all around the edge of the submerged lava flow.  A very large Eagle Ray glided past us paying us no attention.



flightless cormorants drying wings

During our afternoon snorkel, there were so many turtles swimming with us it was hard to decide which way to go to stay out of their way.  I backed away from one turtle only to nearly run into another.  I counted 17 turtles during our 45 minute snorkel.  Some were feeding on the rocks while others were gliding through the deeper water and still more were rising to the surface to gulp a little air (no more than a couple of seconds) before diving again.  It was wonderful to swim with these huge animals who didn’t seem to mind our intrusion at all.

sunset over Fernandina

lava cactus--a "pioneer" species on lava flows

yellow warbler

 

In the evening, we cruised around the north end of Isabella, where the Wolf Volcano has been erupting.  We could not see lava flowing or red hot rocks being thrown into the sky, but we could watch the clouds of red smoke puffing upwards from the main crater and then down along the sides of the volcano, so it appears most of the activity was inside the crater.  Quite beautiful to watch the display.