Fernandina Island is brand new as islands go, and is still erupting in recent times -- 2009 was the last serious eruption -- and it is the most pristine of all of the Galapagos islands. It is very close to Isabela Island -- that's Isabela in the upper right corner of the photo. If you notice the faint blue-green spot at about the 1 o'clock position on this photo of the island -- that's Punta Espinosa, our next landing site this afternoon.
Fernandina Island (or the little we saw of it) is a remarkable place. The ground is pretty much entirely one great lava flow, now cooled and slowly eroding, and a harsh place for plants and animals to get established. For some remarkable photos, find this island on Google Earth, and plan to spend more than an hour looking.
Pablo was our naturalist guide for this expedition. The island is a paradox -- pristine yet full of life.
We disembarked into a mangrove forest, using a trail that is above or below water depending upon the tide. But the tide wasn't a real obstacle -- we waded -- but the marine iguanas were. They owned the place where we landed.
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| Approaching mangrove forest where we hit the trail -- that's the volcano in the background |
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| Through the mangrove to landing |
The first thing that greeted us was a mass of iguanas -- marine iguanas, that is.
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| Not a place to be if you don't like reptiles |
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| Watch your step -- that's my foot |
Pablo explained to us the whale skeleton that is being researched and assembled here.
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| Mary, with Isabela in the distance across the strait |
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Fernandina volcano looming
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| Toes together, a custom we started in Patagonia with Princeton |
This part of the island is a study in pioneer plant species getting established -- mangrove is one, and this cactus is another, starting colonies on bare rock.
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| Small |
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| Medium |
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| Large |
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| Another colony in bare rock |
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