Española Island
After sailing for few hours in the peaceful water of the Galápagos Archipelago we arrived at Hood Island. We began our day with an early kayaking outing. In the Equatorial sunshine many of our guess joined us to paddle along the coastline of Española Island. Many shore birds and the sea lions were waiting for us on the rocks. Many immature sea lions jumped into the water and wanted to play with our paddles while we were paddling. After an interesting and healthy early morning activity we returned to National Geographic Islander for breakfast. After recovering our energy we prepared to explore the island while others went to see the underwater life.
Nothing could be better than a relaxing walk along a beautiful white-sand beach filled with hundreds of sea lions. While some of our guess were heading to the beach others dove into the sea to enjoy the underwater realm. Today was our first chance to go deep-water snorkeling. The weather was perfect and with crystal clear water, and we had the opportunity to swim with the graceful Galápagos sea lions. Although there were a lot of colorful fish such as king angelfish, parrotfish and moorish idols among others, they couldn’t compete with the sea lions for our attention. Soon after we finished snorkeling we went to the beach to have a firsthand experience with the curious Hood mockingbirds, which are endemic to the island of Española.
The afternoon excursion was full of expectations because Española Island is very well known for the biodiversity that it offers visitors. As soon as we disembarked in a little landing jetty, Sally Lightfoot crabs, marine iguanas harvesting ulva algae and sea lions were spotted. In addition, the two-mile walk was full of astonishing sites. The first albatross chicks, no more than one-week old, were found. Also, the blue-footed boobies engaged us with their spectacular courting. Moreover, many other land birds such as Hood mockingbirds and Darwin’s finches delighted us with their wonderful chanting. Another day in paradise pays off!
