Approaching Fernandina (ps)
After lunch and a siesta we took another zodiac ride to the nearby small, pristine island of Fernandina. The peak of its imposing volcanic cone, called Punta Espinosa, rises into the cloud layer at 5000 ft above sea level. We made a dry landing through the mangroves onto a field of irregular, "ropy" lava flow, where we took a long hike through the intriguing formations of this frozen magma, along an area where the shoreline forms many photogenic small lagoons and inlets.
Landing through the Mangroves (ps)

The first sight to greet as as we came out of the mangroves, were a collection of iguanas popping up around a huge skeleton, looking like prairie dogs.
Marine Iguanas and skeleton (sz)

We then passed flocks of flightless cormorants who display their stubby vestigial wings to dry after coming out of the water. These long-necked birds feed in the ocean the way diving waterfowl do.
Flightless Cormorants (sz)

We witnessed a group of sea lions claiming space under huge branches of driftwood, reminding us of the lions in the Serengeti under their trees.
Sea Lions (sz)
Flightless Cormorant and Marine Iguana (look closely) (ln)

Birds spied on this walk included the American Oystercatcher with its delicate long legs and red beak, flocks of boobies diving into the water after the small fish that
frequent the shore (see the video). Many shorebirds were sighted,
including plovers.
          
American Oystercatcher (sz)                              Semipalmated Plovers (sz)
Wandering Tattler (sz)
Marine Iguanas and Sally lightfoot crabs (sz)
Scuttling all over the deep rocky crevasses were the same colorful crabs we had seen before, plus the usual hordes of marine iguanas we had learned to love despite their ferocious visages.
Marine Iguana (sz)

Fernandina has a single, ever restless volcano, which dictates the condition of every living creature on this island. Volcanic eruptions are constantly shaping the landscape and creating new land that is colonized shortly after. The endemic lava cactus erodes the basaltic layers to be the dominant species in this harsh environment.
Lava Swirls (ps)Aha Lava meets Pahoehoe Lava (sz) Marine Iguana & Lava Cactus (ps)

Marine Iguanas looking like sentrys posted to guard the fort (ln)

Fernandina Wildlife in Action

  • Flightless Cormorants waddling around and flapping wings
  • Marine Iguana bobbing its head in characteristic behaviour
  • Barking Sea Lions heading towards the sea
  • Marine Iguana digging her nest in the sand
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Lava terrain with Lava Cactus (ps)

Hermit Crab (sz)
Galapagos Hawk (ln)
Galapagos Lava Lizard (sz)
Sally lightfoot crab (sz)
Galapagos Snake (sz)
(black and brown slithering around the stone)