Fernandina Island

WOW! And I thought this trip couldn't get any better! Boy I keep awing at every thing every moment I step further and further into the Galapagos fantasy land.

LAVA! Finally, I get to see some lava flows -both  pahoehoe (pa-hoy-hoy) and aa (ah-ah) examples. This picture is in front of pahoehoe lava which is usally smooth and ropy. Click here (http://picasaweb.google.com/buckaress/GalapagosShipCruise#) for more pictures of the ancient lava flows on Fernandina Island.

Trooper is pictured with lava cacti growing in the lava rock (basaltic). Can I just say, again, how cool it was to march around the ancient lava flows?!!!

We also saw marine iguanas fighting for territory. They have large spikes on the top of their heads and necks. When they marine iguanas want to challenge one another, the lock their spikes together and push one another, which is not unlike bucks locking their antlers together.

We had another rare experience with the flightless cormorant. Three birds, two male and one female, were near each other and one male dominated the other, and the female chose her mate. Then we saw their courtship dance (mating dance, though they didn't mate) in the water. Peter, our photographer, said this rarely happens near shore that it mostly happens out in deep water. We saw the seaweed offering and acceptance and their "dance" - it was absolutely breath-taking! Check out the video below.