An incredible day awaited us as we awoke at Gardner Bay at Española Island. As the morning mist began to dissipate before our eyes, turquoise water was revealed underneath, sparkling under the strong equatorial sun overhead.
After a hearty breakfast, we began our exploration of the calm sea. Many are surprised at the temperature of the waters, which average at only about 70 degrees Fahrenheit, however this is beneficial for us. The cold currents come up from the south, bringing water rich in nutrients which the animals feed on, therefore this is the most productive time of the year for the wildlife. A small green sea turtle rested on the seafloor before gracefully swims past us, as a Cornetfish flit by. As we swam into deeper waters, a sea lion pup decided that we would make excellent playmates—it began to blow bubbles in our direction, causing the remaining pups along the coast to join us for an invigorating swim. What a wonderful introduction to this unique ocean that surrounds us.
After lunch, Captain Fausto navigated our ship towards Punta Suarez, one of the densest concentrations of wildlife in the Galapagos Archipelago. We headed out onto the trail, slowly stepping over Galapagos marine iguanas that were basking in the sun, and we headed towards the waved albatross colony. A Galapagos hawk showed up at one point with prey in its talons, followed by a second and then a third who were trying to gain a morsel from the kill.
Walking towards the southern cliffs, we found a waved albatross with a recently hatched chick. We watched as the caring parent gave the chick a small meal while protecting it with its massive body. A clacking sound in the distance brought our attention to a pair that was in full courtship display, with beak clacking, sky pointing, neck swaying, and a bit of jousting with their massive bills to practice the pattern that will bond them for life. As we sat and enjoyed the wonderful view from the top of the cliffs, we gained a front row seat at an aerial show, with red-billed tropic birds, Nazca boobies, and albatross all sharing the skies. As the sun dipped behind the horizon, we passed a recently hatched Albatross chick with shell fragments still attached to it. An occasional bark could be heard from the sea lions as they snooze among the Nazca boobies, with the last light of the sun upon their faces.
