Española Island
On our first full day of the trip we visited the southernmost island of the archipelago. We arrived to Gardner Bay early in the morning, anchoring at this beautiful site, surrounded by eroded cones and turquoise blue water. Our first activity was snorkeling around Gardner Islet, paddling right next to cinder layers and large caverns carved by the sea. This is such a perfect time to enjoy a physical activity, with mild light and wind.
After breakfast, Jason, our expedition leader, gave a talk on snorkeling, and on how to safely enjoy this important part of the voyage. We were then off to our first dive where there we encountered excellent conditions: clear and warm water full of schooling fish, and the always playful Galápagos sea lions. As any young animal, they were very curious and very cheeky, swimming directly to us only to turn away at the last second; blowing air bubbles in front of our masks to confuse us while gathering in small pods to feel confident. As usual, we had an unforgettable experience with these amazing creatures. The vertical walls have many schools of young fish, minnows of several species avoiding getting too close to the shore where flag cabrillas, giant hawkfish and some groupers were trying to camouflage, and get a meal. Some skipjack tunas were moving in fast, also preying on the inhabitants of this underwater nursery. At the end we were lucky to find a couple of spiny lobsters marching through the reef, also seeking for the safety of a hollow lava formation.
Then, to end our morning, we went to a white sand beach where a colony of Galápagos sea lions were laying under the sun, snoozing and getting rolled by the tide. So many of them piled up, searching for their mothers, looking for a place to lay and to get some body heat after a long swim; and quarreling, as they often do. We were back to the National Geographic Islander at noon for an Ecuadorian lunch and to get ready to an afternoon walk.
Punta Suarez, our afternoon visit, is considered one of the best sites of the islands. After a dry landing, we started our two-mile, rocky walk. The path goes through many seabird colonies, it is like being immersed in a natural history documentary. The lack of fear of the animals, one of the most fascinating Galápagos features, is overwhelmingly obvious here. Everywhere you look there is something to observe. Our main attraction: the only waved albatross colony in the world. This is the only tropical species of albatross; to see them nesting, fencing and flying over the impressive southern cliffs is a naturalist’s dream. There is no way to describe it with words, you have to experience it personally.
