Fernandina Island is unlike any of the Galapagos Islands. It is the only island on the planet where no invasive species exist, and where no invasive species have ever lived, as if it created a time museum.
The Volcanoes Guard Their Island
La Cumbre volcano is the center of life on Fernandina, still erupts, produces new landforms, and gases that act as a physical barrier to natural invasion. Basically, every time La Cumbre erupts, any invasive species are erased, while the lava and other forms of life isolate the island from outside ecological threats. It protects a valuable native land-based ecosystem, free from outside influence.
The Giants of the Lava Coast
Fernandina has the largest and darkest marine iguanas of the Galapagos. The iguanas are not competing with invading animals for food and no invasive animal rivals their habitation. Marine iguanas live together in massive colonies with respect to iguana props common in a place (sea rock) as they continue to exist in life on a volcanically active island.
The Calm of Flightless Cormorants
Fernandina has the largest colonies of flightless cormorants, which are the least disturbed. They exist free from human disruptive interaction or contamination by predatory invasive species. Watching them is the closest you can get to witnessing consideration of ‘natural’ behavior free of human presence.
Maintaining Purity
To maintain purity, only Punta Espinoza, the site of a visitor landing, has visitor access. In addition Biosecurity checks are performed to ensure that no new species can penetrate Fernandina. Plus, visit access is limited to cruise access to boat only in visiting distinctive island procedural manners, limiting potential human impact at every step along the way on this island with invasive ‘mythical’ or ‘unknown’ animals.
A Natural Evolutionary Wonder
To scientist, Fernandina is not an island but essentially a natural laboratory allowing observation of evident evolutionary progression regardless of evolved destiny interdependence. To the visitor, it is the wild heart of the Galapagos Islands, ruled by nature, possibly the last best world wild place.
