The National Geographic Islander dropped anchor at Gardner Bay on Española Island. We started our day with a great sunrise and by 6:10 a.m. we had a group of guests going on a kayak expedition. Everyone that joined this outing had a great time as they got the chance to get really close to a number of baby sea lions that were playing by the shoreline.
After breakfast our guests had a snorkeling and kayak safety talk and got their snorkeling gear suited by the expedition staff. We soon got ready to explore the cliffs of Gardner Islet. This was a really fun experience for everybody since we spotted several species of fish, such as parrot fish, creole fish, Mexican hogfish, giant hawk fish, and schools of black striped snapper. After snorkeling everybody got back on board and changed very quickly because we still had time to go to the beach on Gardner Bay and observe a good sized colony of Galapagos sea lions. After our excursion It was time for lunch so we headed back on board.
The action began again at 3:30 p.m. at Punta Suarez, Española Island. After a dry landing everybody went on a hike that lasted until sunset. The highlights of this afternoon were the Galapagos marine iguanas and different species of seabirds that we found during this hike. First, at the landing site, we found a good number of marine iguanas that were basking on the rocks after feeding in the ocean. Once on the trail we found a flock of waved albatross that were performing a well detailed, complex, and fun courtship ritual. Also, our guests saw swallow tailed gulls, Nazca Boobies and red billed tropic birds. Our guests had the chance to learn about the natural history of all these species from the Naturalist. After a breathtaking sunset, we returned to the National Geographic Islander to continue our expedition within the enchanted archipelago.
