27 June 2008: When we weren’t snorkeling or cycling around, we would simply walk around the vicinity of Puerto Villamil on Isabela island. Even though the island is the biggest of the Galapagos, there is restricted access to most parts of the island because of the topology of the island and also because Galapagos is after all a national park. There’s nothing like strolling on the white sandy beaches, looking over the turquoise sea, being surrounded by wonderful untouched nature - under the misty sky.

A Marine Iguana enjoying the peace

 The changing of the tides create beautiful patterns along the shoreline

 Black lava rocks meet the sea

Lookout point - but access is restricted

 Sally Lightfoot crabs

 Bust figure of Jose Villamil whom the town was named after.

In 1833, the Ecuadorian government granted a concession to Jose Villamil, a Frenchman who had left Louisiana when it was sold to the United States, to establish the first settlement in the Galapagos, on Floreana island.

27 June 2008: Isabela island, Galapagos

 Words can’t describe how wonderful it is to be so close up to wild animals on Galapagos. Here, two sea lions were napping on a footpath leading to the dock.

The Fishermen’s Dock where locals dock their fishing boats. This was also our point of entry by boat from Santa Cruz island to Isabela.

 Mangrove lagoon where the Fishermen’s Dock is

Another two sea lions taking an afternoon nap near the dock

Black-necked stilt

We visited the Charles Darwin Research Station on Isabela island which also houses a giant tortoise breeding center.

The CDRS is where giant tortoises are hatched from eggs and reared to maturity before they are released back into the wild.

There are five large-shield volcanoes on Isabela, and each volcano is the habitat of a different species. Incredible isn’t it? Each volcano is separated from the other by a lava flow, impassable to the giant tortoises - an excellent example of species variation owing to topographical isolation.

A juvenile

A ‘very’ young tortoise eating grass

 Birds that have changed the world -Here are two Small Ground Finches (Geospiza fuliginosa) just outside of the CDRS.

The 13 species of finches on Galapagos are collectively known as ‘Darwin’s finches’. Each species is easily identifiable by its beak, and also by location. The type of beak corresponds to the type of food that is eaten. Darwin’s finches help to explain how life has developed and evolved. Observing these finches first hand made us appreciate the role that they have played in the history of human thought.

27 June 2008: The Isabela island of Galapagos is a place where we really enjoyed the wonderful landscape and varied wildlife.

Black volcanic lava meets the sea

A Lava Lizard peering out from a rock

 A Yellow Warbler at the seashore

Marine Iguanas are cold-blooded, thus they need to sun themselves on the rocks.  When you observe them closely, you’ll notice that they spit once every few minutes! They spit out brine through their nostrils, not mouth, and that’s how they get rid of the excess salt from their bodies.

 Colonies of marine iguanas on the black lava rocks

 The beach

 Pedro at the beach

The Ghost Crab (Ocypode gaudichaudii) is the most numerous crab on the beach. Its eyes are on stalks which are raised when the crab is out in the open, and lowered into the carapace in their burrows.

The beach is full of ghost crabs, but it is difficult to see them especially up close since they would quickly scurry back into their burrows when you approach them.

A ghost crab digging out sand to make a burrow

 Marine Iguanas

American Oystercatcher (Haematopus palliatus galapagensis)

 Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus hudsonicus)

 Since it was the ‘garua’ season, the sky was always full of heavy clouds

In the distance is Isla Tortuga (Turtle Island)

Black lava rocks of Galapagos

Vegetation near the beach

A ‘road’

Isabela island is an amazing place where you could spot many bird species, a pure enjoyment for those who like to observe birds. Even in the small town of Puerto Villamil, you can easy spot many varieties of birds.

We spotted a beautiful Greater Flamingo (Phoenicopterus ruber)!

This natural lagoon in Puerto Villamil is regularly frequented by pink flamingoes and other wading birds

The flamingo is a shy bird, so we had to be very quiet while observing them. Their numbers are small, so their species is considered vulnerable.

We were also struck by the look of the long-legged Black-necked Stilt (Himantopus mexicanus). It has a long sharp bill and red legs and feet.

Here are two immature White-cheeked Pintail (Anas Bahamensis galapagensis) ducks found in this lagoon.

This lagoon is just one of the many inland lagoons on the seahorse-shaped Isabela island

The most common food for humans on Galapagos is - you guessed it - fish. All the food you can find is sort of like homecooked food. In Puerto Villamil, Isabela, there are only a handful of eating places, so there isn’t much to choose from. These eating spots aren’t restaurants, but are small shops run by local family members to cater to tourists - very different from many of the cafes found in Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz. In almost all the eating places here in Isabela, the inside seating area has a cement flooring, while the ground outside is covered with small stones and rocks. They are not well-lit at all and can be very dark. We usually opted for the menu del dia, which is what they have already cooked in big quantity. It usually comes with a main dish, soup and a fruit juice of the day.

One tip when eating out: Wear long sleeves and pants or spray your body with insect-repellent as there can be many mozzies around.

 Fried rice with fried fish

 Fish and chicken soup which tasted quite nice actually