Española Island
We slept in a bit today – except those who had signed up for the 0700 kayak outing! These brave souls climbed into the yellow boats and headed off north and west along the shore of Española under a cloudy sky. They did not for even a minute regret rising early as they were escorted by cavorting sea lions and they enjoyed exploring the rocky coast.
After breakfast we had a final snorkeling session. The water was cool this morning and wonderfully clear. Several sea lions joined us and twirled and spun among and around us. There were a variety of fish and we had a wonderful swim.
Most of us spent time on the lovely fine white sand beach at Gardner Bay. Here we took countless photos of sea lions (as if we hadn’t taken enough already!) doing almost everything that sea lions do: resting, nursing, playing in the surf, and interacting with one another. One hungry pup was searching for his mother and approaching each sleeping female. To our delight he found her and contentedly snuggled in for a nurse. We strolled among the lively and curious endemic Española mocking birds. These birds ran across the sand, digging for food and arguing at their territorial boundaries. We swam in the brilliant turquoise ocean and relaxed on the beach and were reluctant to return to the ship at noon.
The afternoon visit to Punta Suarez began with a dry landing in the damp garua. Sea lions and reddish iguanas were draped on the rocks and tiny beaches where we landed. As we hiked along we found colonies of both Nazca and blue-footed boobies. The blow hole was blasting salt spray into the air with each wave that pushed into this tide level cave with a crack in its top. We walked along a cliff where albatross soared and admired the view out to sea. This cliff is the “take off runway” for albatross; they are big bodied birds and can not become airborne without walking to the cliff edge and sailing off.
We were fortunate to find a couple very small albatross chicks. They must be protected by their parents, day and night, because they are too young to withstand the sun and they are still small enough to be a nice morsel for a frigate. In a few more weeks they will be left on their own while the adult birds forage off the coast of Peru in the rich cold waters of the Humboldt current. We walked among the nesting albatross, admired their subtle but lovely plumage and snapped many photos. This final outing was yet another incredible experience added to our growing list from this week; each and every site on the islands has been different and special. As the sun set we returned to the ship, and we were each aware of the privilege that it has been to share this week’s amazing voyage through the enchanted isles of the Galápagos.
We slept in a bit today – except those who had signed up for the 0700 kayak outing! These brave souls climbed into the yellow boats and headed off north and west along the shore of Española under a cloudy sky. They did not for even a minute regret rising early as they were escorted by cavorting sea lions and they enjoyed exploring the rocky coast.
After breakfast we had a final snorkeling session. The water was cool this morning and wonderfully clear. Several sea lions joined us and twirled and spun among and around us. There were a variety of fish and we had a wonderful swim.
Most of us spent time on the lovely fine white sand beach at Gardner Bay. Here we took countless photos of sea lions (as if we hadn’t taken enough already!) doing almost everything that sea lions do: resting, nursing, playing in the surf, and interacting with one another. One hungry pup was searching for his mother and approaching each sleeping female. To our delight he found her and contentedly snuggled in for a nurse. We strolled among the lively and curious endemic Española mocking birds. These birds ran across the sand, digging for food and arguing at their territorial boundaries. We swam in the brilliant turquoise ocean and relaxed on the beach and were reluctant to return to the ship at noon.
The afternoon visit to Punta Suarez began with a dry landing in the damp garua. Sea lions and reddish iguanas were draped on the rocks and tiny beaches where we landed. As we hiked along we found colonies of both Nazca and blue-footed boobies. The blow hole was blasting salt spray into the air with each wave that pushed into this tide level cave with a crack in its top. We walked along a cliff where albatross soared and admired the view out to sea. This cliff is the “take off runway” for albatross; they are big bodied birds and can not become airborne without walking to the cliff edge and sailing off.
We were fortunate to find a couple very small albatross chicks. They must be protected by their parents, day and night, because they are too young to withstand the sun and they are still small enough to be a nice morsel for a frigate. In a few more weeks they will be left on their own while the adult birds forage off the coast of Peru in the rich cold waters of the Humboldt current. We walked among the nesting albatross, admired their subtle but lovely plumage and snapped many photos. This final outing was yet another incredible experience added to our growing list from this week; each and every site on the islands has been different and special. As the sun set we returned to the ship, and we were each aware of the privilege that it has been to share this week’s amazing voyage through the enchanted isles of the Galápagos.
