Day 11 – Punta Espinosa, Fernandina Island
If I had to pick a peak photography moment, it was at 6am on the youngest island in the Galapagos. We landed just in time to catch the gorgeous morning rays reflecting off the scales of marine iguanas taking a relentless beating from the waves, completely unfazed. It was the perfect artwork for a heavy metal album. Vibrant, neon sally lightfoot crabs crawled all over the dark volcanic rocks. Fearless lava lizards hung out on the thousands of iguanas, using their spiky heads as viewing platforms. The iguanas just stood there like they were immovable landscape features. We spotted one Galapagos racer (a type of snake) roaming around out to get its next prey basically ‘anything that moves’ excluding humans. It blended into the terrain so well that you’ll miss them if you aren’t looking, which is terrifying when you think of it. If you’re lucky, you might even spot a Galapagos hawk silently judging you but it was not our day.
We hiked toward the tidal pools at the end of the island where the striking silhouettes of flightless cormorants and grey herons posed against the lava rocks. The weather gods gave us a beautiful sunny day with intermittent rays perfect for getting creative with the lens. On the trail back, we passed some whale bones, but missed the local penguins.
Underwater, the motionless iguana suddenly transformed into elegant swimmers, diving to munch on green algae while sea turtles glided around us. The tide ebbed and flowed so aggressively enough to sweet a person away, so of course, I got swept away and after some parkour moves, I surfaced with a few cuts and bruises and no regrets. Some playful sea lions showed up right in front of another group performing a graceful underwater ballet.
Punta Vicente Roca, Isabela Island
Round two of snorkeling at Punta Vicenta Roca on northern Isabela, however was a total disaster. The visibility was garbage, forcing me to cut the swim short, only to spend the next few hours dealing with a stinging rash. To add to the drama, the swell was insanely high, which meant our panga ride around the dramatic cliffs had to be cut short too. Although nature was rejecting us, we did manage to snap a few photos of brown noddies and blue-footed boobies on the cliffs while marine iguanas relaxed on the rocks.
Crushed by the waves, we began a long sail south toward the western side of Santiago Island. At 5:30pm, we officially crossed the equator. To mark the milestone, we joined the captain on the bridge for a celebratory ritual. Honestly, I had no idea why we were making such a big deal. Yes, the weather and wildlife change, but let’s be real, it just felt like a good excuse to have fun and celebrate with free drinks!
CRAYSCAPE 