Española or Hood Island

We started our activities a bit earlier this morning to able to cover all the different options we offer at this visitor site, known as Gardener Bay. Right after breakfast we had a meeting in our main lounge to explain all the water activities procedures, such as deep-water snorkeling, snorkeling lessons at the beach, glass-bottom boating and kayaking. So as soon as we distributed snorkeling equipment we sent out the glass-bottom boaters first, followed by deep-water snorkelers and, last but not least, those of us going to the beach to learn how to explore the crystal blue waters of Galápagos. It was a very intense morning with happy memories for everybody.

Deep-water snorkelers saw a lot of fishes from different regions. As soon as the beginning snorkelers were ready they went to a rock off the same beach, and saw a lot of fishes and two white-tipped sharks. Glass-bottom boaters saw the same fish and lot of Pacific green sea turtles, and the kayakers enjoyed seeing the geology and soaring birds everywhere.

For the afternoon we sailed about eight miles to a different location, but we had to change course because we spotted a small pod of bottlenose dolphins; they came to greet our guests and had fun bow-riding the National Geographic Endeavour.

Once at Punta Suarez we disembarked to explore its cliffs, which are covered with marine animals such as Española marine iguanas, blue and Nazca boobies, swallow-tailed gulls, frigatebirds, pelicans and waved albatross, which were the highlight of this adventure. Juveniles are just getting ready to fledge Española and hopefully they will come back after four or five years of reaching sexual maturity. This visitor site is also good for observing finches, Española lava lizards, Española mockingbirds, Galápagos hawks and many other amazing creatures.

As we were returning the ship we encountered a group of new mother sea lions; they were a bit aggressive, because they had just delivered new pups, and were feeling very protective. Soon they will have to leave to look for food so they’ll be able to nurse their cute babies.

It was a successful day out there and we’re so looking forward to more adventures tomorrow at a different Island.