Overnight our floating home moved across the strait and down the coast of Isabela Island to Urbina Bay, below Alcedo Volcano. Isabela Island is really 5 major volcanoes that have become fused together over millions of years as they have migrated to the southeast. We spent the morning walking in low woods behind the beach, and snorkeling from pangas. In the afternoon we got back on La Pinta and headed back up the Isabela coast to Tagus Cove, where we snorkeled, went kayaking, and hiking.
Urbina Bay is a small bay with a pretty beach, with woods behind the dunes. These were some to the first trees we saw in the Galapagos Islands. After we walked in the woods (details below), we went snorkeling along the rocks to the right of the first picture below.
This was my first snorkeling experience in many years, since our times in the Caribbean -- and it was memorable for me. My wet suit worked well, but my snorkel mask from home had developed a slow leak. I saw loads of beautiful fish, including a zebra eel.
Midway through the snorkel, a huge pacific green sea turtle, who must have been swimming along below me, decided to surface -- coming up directly into my chest! Neither of us saw the other until the collision. I recovered my wits, and saw 6 more turtles around me (probably 4 different turtles), all of which let me touch the top of their shells.
While Mary was swimming, she was surrounded by sea lions.
What a morning! On to Tagus Cove!
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| Urbina Bay, with La Pinta on the horizon |
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Beginning the woods walk
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Just as we entered the woods, we had our first encounter with a giant tortoise. Then we saw several.
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| Bird-watching prize -- Galapagos hawk! |
On the way back we came across the empty shell of an unfortunate tortoise
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| Gone to tortoise heaven |
And a healthy looking land iguana.
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| Iguana near burrow |
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