Fernandina Island

This is a flamingo I saw yesterday.

Wow! We woke up early this morning to see whales in the Bolivar channel, which runs between Fernandina and Isabella islands. We saw a Bryde's whale . But the best was to come on our hike to Fernandina Island, which is the youngest island in the archipelago. It sits right on the hotspot, so its main volcano El Cumbre is active. It last erupted in 2005. There are active volcanoes on Isabella, too. We will visit the coast of Isabella afternoon. Upon arriving on Fernandina, we saw a Galapagos penguin swimming near the shore! Unfortunately, it was too quick for me, so I couldn't snap a picture. Walking up the path, we saw hundreds of marine iguanas basking in the sun, some heading down to the water to feed. These reptiles have adapted to be under water for long periods to feed on underwater algae. They have special glands to release all the salt they absorb from the ocean. They also have a flatter snout to help them feed more easily (other lizards and iguanas here have pointed snouts) We also saw more sea lions (they are everywhere!) We saw some flightless cormorants, the only cormorants in the world who don't fly. They have evolved this way because there was so much food available in the area, there was no need to fly to obtain food. They get around by hopping and swimming. We also saw a courtship ritual between two cormorants. I have video to share when I have better Internet service. We also saw lava cactus, one of the first colonizing plants. They grow in the volcanic rock. There roots break up the rock, eventually providinga place for other plants to grow. Two types of lava are on this island: a'a (which translates as pain, since it is sharp and can cut through the sole of a shoe) and pahoehoe (or ropelike) lava. We also saw sea turtles, a Galapagos hawk, lava lizards, and some Sally Lightfoot crabs. This afternoon we have another deep sea snorkel. I hope to see more penguins and to get to swim with marine iguanas. We'll see!