Saturday 18 Feb 2012. Morning - Moreno Point. Afternoon - Elizabeth Bay

The landscape here was very dramatic. The lava is 3,000 years old but there is little general vegetation other than lava cacti. However there were several small pools with dense vegetation and wildlife including flamingos, a moorhen nesting on a ledge in a cave, turtles etc. All the water comes from the sea via caves and lava tunnels. Darwin said that the water in these pools has a high saline content due to evaporation and the animals adapt by having enlarged kidneys to cope with the extra salt. You cannot land in Elizabeth Bay which is really a collection of lagoons and mangrove inlets, difficult for the panga driver to negotiate! On our panga ride we saw a fairly large spotted eagle ray, penguins and marine turtles. We sat inn the lagoons for a long time looking at the wildlife – very calming, despite the mosquitos!! The snorkelling at Moreno Point in the morning was a little disappointing (compared to other sites!) as visibility was poor. Darwin pointed out a large sea horse attached to some weed, but it was too murky for me to make it out, though I did see a HUGE turtle eating the algae about 4 ft in front of (but slightly below) me.

Didn't have a map for today, so this is the one for 19th - but still Isabella island!

Green sea turtle feeding off the algae just below us - it was huge and took no notice of us at all. It is fantastic watching them move through the water, afraid of nothing as they can retreat inside their tough shell.