Today we reached the oldest island of the archipelago, Española. Like San Cristobal, it also harbors a unique set of species that are endemic only to Española. This includes the Española mockingbird, the Española lava lizard, and the Christmas iguana; a subspecies of marine iguana unique to the island. We also saw waved albatross that nest here, as well as on La Plata Island. These magnificent birds travel all the way to Peru to feed their chicks.
In the morning, we snorkeled around Gardner Islet and swam with sea lions and chased common dolphins! Later, we visited a beautiful sandy beach. In the afternoon we visited Punta Suarez, where many sea birds nest. We also observed several waved albatross chicks as well as adults in courtship.
Española never stops amazing me and it is a paradise for wildlife observations, particularly for sea birds.
