We awaken as the early morning lights up the summit behind Punta Espinoza on Fernandina Island, the youngest and most active in the archipelago. A dry landing onto black lava fields brings us to one of the largest colonies of marine iguanas in the islands. We watch with fascination as these amazingly charming but ugly creatures pile on top of each other for warmth after spending up to 25 minutes submerged in the cold waters to feed on algae. Occasionally one will sniff and a stream of salt-laden water will spew out of its nostrils. Continuing to the point, we observe several couples of flightless cormorants, watching as they go through their courtship ritual, build their nest or incubate their eggs. A curious sight, these agile blue-eyed swimmers appear rather clumsy on land as their wings dangle uselessly from their sides and they hop from rock to rock. In this area, we may also watch sea lions, lava lizards and possibly a great blue heron or Galápagos snake.
Fernandina’s lava landscape is one of the most dramatic we see during our trip, and we hike back inland a short distance to observe lava cactus and other colonizing plants among the stark black rocks. In the afternoon, we navigate across to Tagus Cove on Isabela Island. If we’re lucky, we may observe whales or dolphin during the crossing between the two islands. In Tagus Cove, we follow a steep dirt trail uphill to a lookout point that offers a great view out over a relatively fresh lava flow, allowing us to learn more about the forces that created these islands. There will be chances to observe various finches and yellow warblers as well as identify a variety of
plant species as we hike. One of the classic photo moments of the Galápagos is the view of our boat anchored in the quiet bay with the brackish lake shimmering under the sun in the foreground. We return to the yacht for dinner and a briefing on tomorrow's activities, and start our last long, overnight navigation.