By far my favorite place in the Galapagos Islands was Espinoza Point on Fernandina Island. There was something primal about it. A place where the world could have started, or that had never been visited by other humans, locked in time. All volcanic, jagged and black, populated by huge, prehistoric looking black reptiles, intermixed with florescent orange crabs. A primordial place that time forgot.
Espinoza Point is the only permitted landing point on Fernandina and one of the world's most pristine ecosystems - the only island that has no mammals (such as introduced rats). It is also where the
greatest nature video of all time was filmed. Marine iguanas, by the hundreds, are lying everywhere, intermixed with Sally lightfoot crabs. However, before our journey ashore we had a snorkeling trip to a point south. It was going to rain so I got my camera and a large umbrella and sat in the panga while others snorkeled, hoping to get some photos. I did sea a marine iguana swimming at some distance and also got absolutely drenched. Fortunately the rain subsided before we took our walk onshore. When we did our walk onshore I saw another swimming marine iguana. But by the time I got to where I could photograph it it was almost ashore.
Photos follow:
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| Flightless cormorant |
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| Galapagos lava lizard |
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| Lava cactus |
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| Ruddy turnstone |
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| Galapagos dove |
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| Galapagos sea lion |
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| Yellow warbler |
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