Our destination today is Urbina Bay, known for an uplift event that raised 385 acres of the seabed by 13 feet in 1954. The uplift happened so quickly that turtles, fish, lobsters, and other marine life were stranded. Today coral heads are still visible. Exposed to the air and elements, the coral is deteriorating and won’t be visible much longer.
You have the choice of walking a short trail, which is less than a mile or the long trail that is just less than two miles. If you take the long trail, you will see coral heads. As you walk along the trail that takes you from the beach to the interior of the island look for small shells and corals, proof that this area was once under water.
Urbina is one of the best places to see land iguanas with their specially textured yellowish skin. They can sometimes be seen sunbathing on the trail. Along your walk you may also see wild Giant Tortoises among the bushes, Flightless Cormorants, Flycatchers, Darwin’s finches, mockingbirds, and Galapagos hawks that nest here and are often seen flying or perched on the trees.
Snorkel: You can snorkel from the beach to observe sea turtles, cormorants, and penguins, as well as colorful fish.
Trail: Short trail: 1,2 km / 0,7 mi. Long Trail: 3,0 km / 1,8 mi
Wildlife Highlights: Brown Pelican, Darwin’s Finches, Flightless Cormorant, Galapagos Dove, Galapagos Giant Tortoise, Galapagos Green Turtle, Galapagos Hawk, Galapagos Land Iguana, Galapagos Lava Heron, Galapagos Lava Lizard, Galapagos Marine Iguana, Galapagos Mockingbird, Galapagos Penguin, Great Blue Heron, Vermilion Flycatcher, Yellow-crowned Night Heron
Our next stop is Tagus Cove, one of the places that Charles Darwin visited during his exploration of the Galapagos Islands. The Cove has an interesting history as pirates and whalers frequented this area. Today, we will walk through the dry Palo Santo Forest where we might see Darwin finches and mockingbirds. Our destination is Darwin Lake where we will see a lagoon in a crater filled with salt water. The walk is short but steep. When we reach the top ridge, we are rewarded with stunning views that are well worth the walk.
Our visit here concludes with a boat tour along the shore where we might see penguins along the cliffs, cormorants, marine iguanas, tree and ground finches, and a very unique species: the Galapagos martin, a small endemic bird which is one of the most endangered species on the island.
Snorkel: The nutrient-rich waters of Tagus Cove attract a wide variety of marine life. You may spot sharks, sea turtles, sea stars, and a great diversity of fish as well as penguins that feast on large schools of anchovies. It is also common to see cormorants’ underwater chasing fish through the reef.
Wildlife Highlights: Galapagos hawks, marine iguanas, flightless cormorants, herons, penguins, sea turtles, sea stars.
Trail: 2,6 km / 1,6 mi