We started our activities early in the morning. Early birders kayaked along the calm waters of Espanola Island. We spotted seabirds in a feeding frenzy and some mockingbirds fluttering among the rocks, while in the water, sea turtles and playful sea lions delighted our guests.
After breakfast, we headed to Gardner Islet. With excellent weather conditions, our snorkelers had the opportunity to spot many green sea turtles, swimming or resting under the rocks on the bottom. Of course, we couldn't miss the company of playful juvenile sea lions that swam and did pirouettes, inviting us to imitate them and play with them. Later, we headed to the white sand beach of Garner Bay, where our younger guests played with sea lions.
In the afternoon, we weighed anchor and started sailing to Punta Suarez at the western corner of the island. At 3:15PM we landed on a small dock heading inland to spot colorful marine iguanas, their reddish color contrasted with black rocks. It was windy and a little bit sunny, but it wasn’t an impediment to our reaching the nesting regions of Nazca boobies. Close to the cliffs, we observed many of them displaying their courtship dances. Walking inland, we arrived at the waved albatross nesting area, observing many couples incubating their eggs, flying or performing an elaborate courtship dance before mating.
It was almost 6PM when we returned to National Geographic Islander II. Everybody was tired but happy to have the opportunity to share an incredible day with unique creatures.
