Fernandina

Island

By Karey Fuhs

Fernandina, the westernmost—and youngest—of the main islands, is situated directly above a geologic hot spot and as such, has the highest volcanic activity of any of the islands. Many eruptions have been recorded since 1813, the most recent of which occurred in 1995.

There is one visitor site, Punta Espinosa, where flightless cormorants, pelicans, penguins, sea lions, and an abundance of marine iguanas reside. There are two short trails (.25-km and .75-km long and accessible by dry landing) that lead to recently formed lava fields, where you can see pahoehoe and aa lava formations and pioneer plants.

The marine ecosystem around Fernandina, where the cold Cromwell current has its greatest impact on water temperature and nutrient upwelling, hosts organisms not found in other sectors of the archipelago. In fact, since Bryde’s whales, pilot whales, and bottlenose dolphins feed here, so keep your eyes open when you are cruising! This area has been declared a Whale Sanctuary.

Unfortunately, since Fernandina, like Isabela, is far to the west, only the larger, more expensive boats include it in their itinerary.