We have been very busy the last few days here in Isabela! All of a sudden, we realize our time left here is very short, and we have several things we still want to do…..
So, Thursday, we did another dive with Julio and Paco, this time out to the islands known as Cuatro Hermanos (4 Brothers). It is a bit further than Isla Tortuga, but it is just as beautiful with some birds and many, many marine iguanas and sealions lining the rocky shore of these islets. The first dive was kind of different, as in the beginning we entered a cavern in the side of the fourth islet and viewed the sealife there. Unfortunately, the surge was strong and had the water churned up pretty good, so we didn’t stay long, but continued on around until we came upon a beautiful wall, speckled with bright colors of coral, algae, and marine growths. We saw all the usual suspects…..sharks, turtles, fish, the occasional sealion, and a token hammerhead that was easily 12’ long!
The second dive was at the first brother, and it was truly memorable! We motored over during our surface interval (no tuna this time 🙁 ) and saw the sides of the islet draped with marine iguanas and groups of sealions, each harem dominated by a single barking male. The dive was also mostly a wall dive, and when we dropped in, I looked out over the wall and watched a manta drift very slowly by. Most of the rest of the dive though, was all about the sealions! They were determined to capture our attention and did dramatic acrobatics all around us, stopping only to blow bubbles into our masks or take a long look into our eyes, only to whoosh off, grab a quick breath of air, and come zooming effortlessly back down. At one point, I found myself giggling delightedly into my regulator at their antics! Very, very fun!! We also had one other manta glide right over top of us towards the end of the dive and watched him in awe as he flew gracefully away, wing-tips making the gentlest of motions. The diving here has been so wonderful, and we really like Julio and Paco very much! They are very professional; Julio is a great captain and pilot, and Paco is a really good dive guide and speaks excellent English. It’s also been very nice that our group has been such a good size….The first day was 4 of us, plus Paco, and the second day only 5. Perfect size! Oh, and Julio did surprise us with another tuna he caught while we were diving, so again we benefited from his excellent fishing skills!
Friday morning we worked around the boat, but by noon were out the door again. JC, our agent, who has been really helpful to all of us and a great source of information, had arranged for a trip up into the mountains to a farm that houses a restaurant run by an Austrian man and his Ecuadorian wife. There were 11 of us from the anchorage plus JC, and we had a lovely lunch with a wonderful fresh salad, homemade bread and tomato soup, and roasted chicken and swordfish for the main course. The setting was stunning, with lots of tropical growth and a to-die-for view of the bay and Isla Tortuga in the distance. We really had a nice time, and enjoyed the tour of their extensive property and gardens. Afterwards, our driver took us to the nearby produce farm that we had been to the previous week, and we all got our shopping done….
Saturday we did boat projects and generally relaxed on board MM, but Sunday we were in the water taxi at 7 AM, along with Sue and Andy from Spruce to go hike to Sierra Negra, one of the five active volcanoes here on Isabela. A taxi took us part way up the mountain, but when we reached the park office for the mountain, we parked and started our hike from there. The hike to the top of Sierra Negra was not that far but it was fairly vertical, so our guide took time to point out unique flora as we paused to catch our breath.
Isabela is an interesting island…..It has 5 volcanoes on it, all of which are active. Sierra Negra is the southern-most volcano and the largest. The last eruption was rather sudden in 2005, so they don’t allow you to walk down into the crater anymore, but the view from the rim is stunning! It is the 2nd largest crater in the world, the first being a volcano in Tanzania which is inactive. It is thus, the largest crater in the world of active volcanoes. Surrounding the entire rim is brilliant greenery in various shades from lime to dark forest green. The crater itself is filled with both ah-ah and phora-hora lavas which have hardened into a deep dark black “lake”. The contrast is just gorgeous, and it is breathtaking how large it is!
We hiked around the rim, enjoying the vistas from the wild west side of Isabela all the way to the isthmus and bays of the island to the east. Clouds would roll in and out, sometimes obscuring our views and sometimes making ghostly images of the sea and land beneath us. Hiking further down the other side of the mountain, we came to Volcan Chico, whose landscape was in stark contrast to Sierra Negra . Very little other than a few cactuses call this place home, and the dark lava rocks and formations extend all the way down to the sea. Fascinating terrain and honestly, quite other-worldly….
We all enjoyed the hike, but were glad to return to the bottom after 16 kilometers (10 miles) of up and down, volcanic rock hopping, and muddy trails on the downslope. Sharing a well-deserved beer and delicious lunch at a nearby restaurant, the banter was quick and the mood light, even though we were nursing tired legs and some blistered feet (me, of course!)……It was a good day, and we would sleep well tonight!
