Galapagos Islands cruises visitor site - Punta Tortuga

Just north of Tagus Cove on the western side of Isabela Island is Punta Tortuga, a bathing beach surrounded by mangroves. Here the black sand beach and mangrove swamp were tectonically uplifted in 1975.

Galapagos Islands visitors who venture into the swamp have the opportunity to see the tool-using Mangrove Finch, endemic to Isabela and Fernandina. The Galapagos Islands Mangrove Finch holds twigs or spines in its beak and uses the tool to hunt for grubs. If the tool is a particularly useful one for the finch it will save it for future use.

Punta Tortuga offers a spectacular view Fernandina's volcano. In 1825 the American ship Tabor anchored here at Galapagos Islands Banks Bay to watch an eruption. The close proximity to the eruption and the heat generated caused the boat's rigging to melt.