Isabela Island for Three Days

We left Santa Cruz Island Thursday afternoon for Isabela Island.  Isabela is two or more hours west of Santa Cruz by speedboat.  It's among the younger islands in the Galapagos, and also the largest. Its small population is centered in the town of Puerto Villamil.  The island has 6 volcanos and 5 species of tortoises, leading to the conclusion that there were originally separate islands which have merged into one large one.  The Wolf Volcano, at the northernmost part of the island, is currently erupting.  The only way to see it is to travel a fairly great distance by boat. If Puerto Ayora is the big city of the Galapagos, Puerto Villamil is the small town.  Lots of coconut palms, thatched roofs, and unpaved streets, but quite charming.  I said to Nick "feels like we're on a south sea island" and he said "well aren't we?"

The town has a very interesting church, built in 2012 thanks to the generosity of a couple of people from Miami (according to the plaque on the wall).  The exterior resembles an ocean wave, the stained glass windows are of local Galapagos wildlife, and a life-sized carved wooden tortoise resides under the alter.

Yesterday afternoon we hiked along the beach to the wetland area, a group of lagoons and mangroves lying along the coast.  We took a path for a couple of miles, starting with an elevated walkway, then a pathway of crushed volcanic rock.  The geography and vegetation changed as we proceeded along, from mangroves and water to a forested area with "poison apple" and other trees, to lava rocks and cactus.

On the Way to the Wetland Walk

Elevated Walkway Through the Mangrove Lagoons

Through a Tunnel of Trees

Poison Apples: A Sign Warns of Toxicity of the Little Green Apples.  Only Giant Tortoises May Safely Eat Them.

 Change in Vegetation

Lava and Desert Scrub

We've now seen many marine iguanas, but hadn't had the chance to observe them actually swimming until we spotted one making its way in one of the lagoons.

 Further along, we came upon a lagoon with flamingos swimming.

We ended the day at a local restaurant eating lobster and shrimp for the second night in a row.