Evolution on Display

Last night, the captain skillfully navigated our ship around the main island, bringing us to Isla Fernandina, the youngest in the Galapagos, at just 400,000 to 500,000 years old. Stepping onto this island felt like walking through nature’s history book, untouched and raw.

This was our first chance to encounter the flightless cormorant, a bird that was once capable of flight but has since adapted uniquely to life on land. Its wings, now small and stunted, are a fascinating testament to evolution in action. We were lucky to spot one cormorant during our visit, perched by the rocky shore.

The island was also teeming with marine iguanas, sprawled across the black volcanic rocks in such abundance it felt like the entire island was alive.

After visiting Fernandina by foot, we also snorkeled close to shore, where the underwater world offered a unique perspective on these iguanas. Watching them move gracefully beneath the waves was mesmerizing - they use their tails to propel themselves through the water and cling tightly to rocks while feeding, even in strong currents. Visibility was poor, but we were fortunate to see two marine iguanas feeding on algae before heading back to the ship for lunch and continuing our journey.Read more