Galapagos Cruise Day 3: Snorkel, Hike, and Kayak at Isabela Island

 

This is what I'm talking about! Today we did it all. We started with a snorkel in Urbina Bay, then kayaked around Tagus Cove, and finally did a hard charger hike up the volcano for a spectacular view.

The snorkeling was a blast. Tons of hungry sea turtles swam in the shallows. Many could be seen feeding on the green algae growing on the rocks. They didn't seem to mind our presence so I managed to get some fun GoPro shots of them from pretty close.

I realized after our snorkel that this is the real hidden gem of the Galapagos. Everyone knows about the land animals and how close they let you get, but no one talks about how the sea creatures are also right in your face.

Off in the deeper, bluer water I went free diving into a massive school of King Angelfish. I always love swimming around big schools of fish. It felt like I was part of the school and they totally surrounded me. Take a look below to see what I mean!

The afternoon was spent kayaking and hiking. The hike took us right up the side of the volcano. It was a good leg stretcher, which everyone was excited about. The food onboard is delicious, but it would be easy to pack on the pounds if you didn't pair it with some solid exercise. Plus the views were cool, we saw several Darwinian finches, and we made it to an overlook onto the other side of Isabela Island.

Beach landings are always a bit tricky, you can see our zodiac high and dry here as the waves went out. But our crew showed their skill and experience, doing it safely each time.

Looking down over the east side of Isabela, where some of the more recent lava flows have occurred.

Another beautiful cove, then our climb begins!

Pretty fun inland lake, high in elevation that the ocean behind it.

Another view of the volcanic lake.

Finally we got a chance to test out the kayaks. We loaded and unloaded from the zodiacs, then had about 35 minutes to peruse the cove. Sea stars and urchins could be seen at the water line, while several species of sea birds were perched up on the rocks. It was our first view of a Galapagos penguin up close and we got more flightless cormorants as well.

Flightless comorant. One of the many endemic species of animals that can only be found here.

Our first Galapagos Penguin! These are the most Northern penguin in the world. Most penguins live closer to Antarctica, but this one is almost at the equator!

Another beautiful sunset on our way back to La Pinta.