Today we visited Española Island. It is one of the oldest and southern most islands of the archipelago, and at this time of year, the cold water that arrives with the Humboldt current feeds the marine life.
In the morning, we started our day kayaking along the cliffs where we encountered curious sea lions, frigates, seagulls, and lava herons. After breakfast, we went snorkeling in the amazing clear waters of Gardner Islet. We were received by a big group of juvenile see lions that played with us and followed our snorkeling groups all along the shore. Later, we visited a beautiful white sand beach where we had the chance to visit a colony of sea lions in full display. Females nursing pups, males protecting their territory, and juveniles playing around.
In the afternoon we explored the land ecosystems. We hiked at Punta Suarez, an area where waved albatross nest. The hike allowed us to reach the nesting colonies and the landing grounds of these wonderful birds. Along the way we met the land birds of Espanola, including the very curious mockingbird.
