Española Island is a dream place for nature lovers. This island is the oldest in this archipelago and is a combination of stunning landscapes and wildlife. Here we found large numbers of Nazca boobies, Swallow tailed gulls, Galápagos hawks and marine iguanas just to mention a few!
In the early morning before breakfast we explored Gardner Bay from our fleet of kayaks. This was our first encounter with the local marine iguanas and sea turtles. Later on after breakfast we explored a small islet called Gardner located about a mile from Española Island. This islet is our first snorkeling site of the week.
The snorkeling site was unforgettable because of the young sea lions and the tropical fish. After snorkeling we landed on Gardner Beach. It is a beautiful white sandy beach and it is home for many Galapagos sea lions. They rest and play with each other all the time, other sea lions were swimming and purposing in the shallow turquoise water. These marine mammals really know how to have fun!
After lunch we disembarked on the western side of Española Island. This side of the island is another world. The wildlife is superb! As we walked along the shore, marine iguanas and sea lions were all around us! On the interior of the island we walked through colonies of Nazca boobies and we were lucky enough to see some waved albatross. The iguanas of Española are already marking their territories. These lizards are starting their breeding season and they show beautiful colors.
It was a beautiful day!
