At least we were warned. It WAS a rough night. Once again, the leg clamp was called into use (see yesterday) and although I woke at 6.30 am, due to lack of sleep I completely missed my 5.30 am alarm call!
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| Candelabra Cactus & Lava |
After breakfast we were off on the pangas for a walk over lava flows of both pahoehoe and A'a varieties. For information both are Hawaiian names describing the surface finish - Pahoehoe is a smooth hummocky or ropey surface. A'a (pronounced ah-ah) lava flows have rough rubble-like surface composed of broken lava blocks called clinkers, with incredibly sharp spiny surfaces this is very diffcult and uncomfortable to walk on.
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| Cerro Azul in the distance |
We had an interesting landing onto harsh lava, after manouvering the panga through shallow water (scraping the prop on underwater lava in the process). The lava was hard and sharp and you needed to be careful that you didn't pull an ankle. Nearby we saw candelabra cacti, lava cacti, pecit (an aster or sunflower) and Darwin's aster. These were sparse and taking advantage of the smallest crack or depression in the surface. There were also some straggly grasses enduring a similarly scant existence.
In a small lagoon which is fed with sea water by tidal flow through lava tunnels, we watched turtle and white-tipped shark enjoying this safe haven. Our progress over the lava was slow, but that gave time to take in the landscape and the lunar atmosphere created by the huge lava flows coming from both Volcan Cerro Azul and Volcan Sierra Negra. Isabela is the largest Galapagos island and formed by five separate volcanoes, the only one not currently active is Ecuador.
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| Flightless Cormorant |
As we followed the marked trail, Volcan Cerro Azul could be seen in the distance (Sierra Negra was shrouded in cloud), this gave us an idea of the huge area these lava flows had covered. Although you could follow the path of some of the lava, it was often hard to distinguish which volcano had provided the particular lava we were walking on. It was far easier to understand the power of this action and how the islands had been formed originally. We were near the Galapagos Hot Spot - where three tectonic plates meet and cause a weakness in the earth's crust.
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| Flamingo |
The next surprise was to see a bright green oasis in the middle of all the dark lava where lagoons have formed providing an excellent opportunity for grasses, shrubs and trees to gain a toe-hold. In the lagoons we saw moorhen, white-cheeked pintail, and (a very nice surprise) wilson's phalarope. Two flamingoes fed in a small cove their pink plumage contrasting beautifully against the bright green of the vegetation and the dark grey of the lava.
We continued in a loop over collapsed "bubbles" of magma towards a bay on the other side of the small peninsula where the pangas were to pick us up. Here mangrove had started to grow, and this provided us with a great opportunity for a short cruise before we went back to the boat. More turtles, yellow-tailed mullet and black-tailed damselfish swam around us. On an outcrop we spotted our first flightless cormorant preening in the sunshine.
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| Lava Heron |
We took lunch back on the boat in our now well-rehearsed routine, and as the boat sailed on to Bahia Elizabeth, we took the opportunity for a short siesta either below or on deck.
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| Spotted (Eagle) Rays |
At 3.00 pm we took to the pangas again, and cruised through the mangroves, passing rocks which were well marked by previous seabird colonies. The most numerous bird seen initially was lava heron with several posing well for us, we soon added yellow warbler, dark-billed cuckoon, smooth-billed ani, and finally galapagos penguins. Sealions played alongside the boat and crabs were clinging to the rough surface of the lava with their strong claws. Many turtles swam and although there were two other pangas from another boat we managed to find some peace and solitude as the boatmen paddled us along. In one of the cul-de-sacs we found a group of spotted (eagle) rays.
Eventually we had to return to base and as darkness fell we had the first opportunity for sunset photographs over the sea.
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| The end of a perfect day |
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