Isabela Island
Elizabeth Bay
We opted for the 8:00 a.m. tender ride so that meant an early morning wake-up call again and breakfast in the Seaside Restaurant. Mary joined us for breakfast and then we headed to the Discovery Lounge for our tender ride. We boarded the tender where Micaela was our naturalist and we took off in search of wildlife. We saw a group of Galapagos penguins hunting in the water and then Micaela directed our tender driver to a rocky outcropping where a lone Galapagos penguin stood on a rock alongside a sea lion and a flock of blue-footed boobies. Micaela requested the penguin stay still while the tender driver rotated the zodiac around so we could photograph the wildlife.
Turtles in the Mangroves
Next we headed towards the mangrove cove on the island itself. The wide and sheltered bay provides a haven for wildlife. We saw quite a few more boobies diving into the water as well as Galapagos pelicans and several more penguins torpedoing through the ocean. At the cove, we began looking for green sea turtles. We were disappointed at first as all the sightings were on the other side of the tender, but eventually we reached an area where the turtles were swimming around us on all sides and a young turtle was even sitting still in the water.
Afternoon on the Flora
We returned to the Flora and relaxed for awhile on deck 7, both outdoors and in the enclosed Observatory before returning to our room to shower and enjoy th view out our Infinite Veranda. Janie wanted a drink before lunch so we went to the Ocean Grill & Bar and got a pina colada and strawberry daiquiri and met up with Rusty and Sandy. We all decided to have lunch at the Grill so we found a table and then Mary joined us so we moved to a larger spot. J. R. ordered a salad with languistino and a burger while Janie opted for some chips and guacamole and the fish. The burger was overcooked again but the fish was very good.
Janie decided to attend the Enrichment Presentation on the geology of the Galapagos while J. R. went to the room to relax. Since Janie was not snorkeling today, we had time to watch the ocean from our room.
Extended Tender Ride
Both of us had decided on the extended tender ride and short walk so we met up with Mary, Rusty and Sandy at the Discovery Lounge at 4:30 and boarded a tender. We took a ride along the shore of Isabela Island where we spotted flightless cormorants, blue footed boobies and pelicans, including a few nesting pelicans and a couple of igaunas and sea lions as well. A group of penguins were also spotted just off our tender hunting in the water.
Tagus Cove
We made a dry landing at some stairs at Tagus Cove, a sheltered deep-water bay on the western coast of Isabela Island, overlooking Fernandina Island. This natural anchorage has been a popular destination for ships since the 1800s. We hiked up to a small grotto where a sea lion was lounging and our naturalist showed us where early sailors had carved their names into the rocks. Then came the hike up the long staircase to Darwin's lagoon, which had us all breathing heavily. The view, however, was worth the stair climb. The salt water lagoon sits inside a volcanic cone. Scientists think tsunamis caused by eruptions or landslides on Fernandina may have deposited seawater and evaporation has made it even more salty over time.
J. R. regretted not taking the longer hike up the 160 steps from Darwin Lake to the upper viewpoint. The daily itinerary and cruise director tended to overstate the difficulty of the various hikes, probably owing to the average age of the cruisers onboard the ship.
The walk back down was less exhausting but required more attention as the stairs were uneven and of different heights and sizes in some places where optically it was difficult to see the next stair. We took the tender back to the Flora.
Evening Aboard the Flora
When we arrived, nachos were being served and then we were treated to a different kind of blue footed boobie - a pineapple, vodka and curacao concoction from the bar. We each had two of those and then went to the room to change and put out our first bag of laundry.
After an explanation of the rites of passage for crossing the equator and our excursion briefing, we went to dinner with Rusty, Sandy and Mary. We were treated to a nightcap that tasted like a White Russian and then it was off to bed.
