Located in the southeast of the Galápagos Archipelago, Española is one singular island. It is right in the path of both the South Equatorial current and the southeastern trade winds, which erode the island particularly in its southern coast, and makes its surrounding waters immensely productive. Numbers of marine birds as their home has therefore chosen Española. One of the most captivating bird species is the waved albatross, endemic to the island. Twelve thousand pairs nest on Española between March and December every year, and today we were fortunate to observe them practicing their very elaborate courtship dances. Another charismatic species found in the island in healthy numbers is the endemic Galápagos sea lions; we are right in the middle of their breeding season so we encountered several mothers and their very young pups along the beaches of Española. A fun creature to observe was the Española mockingbird, one of four species of mockingbirds found in the Galápagos Archipelago. On Española, they are particularly feisty and we could watch them fighting over their invisible territories. We had a windy yet incredible day, as stunning wave action constantly washed the shoreline, making it much more dramatic and beautiful. It was an incredible day, full of wonderful landscapes and amazing creatures only found in these magical islands also known as “Las Encantadas”.
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