This was our first full day in the Galapagos, and we can say it was a wonderful one. The island of North Seymour is small, but full of wildlife. The animals that typically make it to oceanic islands are birds and reptiles, and these are exactly the kind of animals we find here. Blue-footed boobies, frigatebirds and land iguanas call North Seymour home. Oceanic islands provide a secure nesting area, since no big predators can survive the journey through the sea, except rats! That is why, in 2019, conservationists worked on eradicating rats so that the endemic and native wildlife can live peacefully. That is what we got the chance to see today, animals living in perfect harmony and unafraid of us. In the afternoon, we visited Rabida Island, where we enjoyed water activities and finished our day with a nice stroll along the beach.
5/6/2025
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National Geographic Endeavour II
Isabela Island
Navigation brought us to the largest island in the Galapagos Archipelago, Isabela. Holding half of all land mass in the Galapagos, it has a diverse selection of ecosystems that we were able to visit. Urvina Bay was geologically uplifted in the 1950’s, taking two square kilometers of seafloor that was thrust upward, in certain areas up to four meters out of the water. Intertidal species were stranded inland, and we walked upon this area. Galapagos giant tortoises and land iguanas were found on our trail, and we were surrounded by Darwin finches and Galapagos mockingbirds. The afternoon brought us to Tagus Cove where we explored the surrounding waters, encountering Galapagos penguins and Pacific green sea turtles swimming among the kayakers and snorkelers. As the sun dipped below the horizon, adventurous hikers took a fast-paced hike to enjoy an incredible view of Darwin Lake and the immense island of Isabela.
