Española Island

The Humboldt Current is a very strong underwater current coming from sub-Antarctic regions; it bathes the Galápagos archipelago, especially at its southeastern most areas. The nutrient-rich waters of Española Island are obvious when we observe the murkiness of the water, but in spite of the rather limited visibility that we had during our snorkeling session, we all had a lot of fun and still saw quite a lot. What we called murkiness is nothing but nutritious elements that are responsible for maintaining the good health of the fauna that inhabits these underwater realms.

Gardner Bay is a white coralline sandy area full of sea lions and other species, particularly the endemic Española mockingbird. The latter spends a lot of time looking for food, sometimes even searching guests’ properties left on the beach.

It was very gratifying to have the whole beach just for us, literally with no other humans than us in the surroundings; however, we did share the beach with the real owners: sea lions!

Some of our guests decided to experience a bit more action during the morning, and indeed had a workout while kayaking. Once again the sea lions gave us a show and decided to follow the kayakers in their exploration along the cliffs. The highlight of the day for some of our guests would definitely have been kayaking alongside sea lions!

For the afternoon, we encountered lots of Albatrosses starting the beginning of their migration to the open seas. It is very probable that next week there would be less albatrosses than today, and soon they’d be all gone. This is a seasonal event and they have performed this migration for millennia. As for now, we are lucky to have had the chance to get a good look to these magnificent birds, not only along the path but gliding above our heads during the whole afternoon.

Galápagos is the vivid representation of hope for this world and it goes beyond any other experience. We all felt this way when looking at such unspoiled place on the planet.

Until we meet again, farewell my friends...