Española Island
Today is our first full day in this remote group of islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. The visitor site for the morning was Punta Suarez, located in the western point of Española Island. This is considered, by geologists, the oldest island in the entire Galápagos; according to the plate tectonic theory, this island is far from the hot spot, as the Nazca Plate moves to the south east at a rate of five to seven centimetres per year.
Due to the age of the island there are several species unique, not just to the Galápagos, but endemic of this island in the whole world, found nowhere else, such as: Hood lava lizard, hood mocking bird, marine iguana, snake, and others. These species help us to understand the processes of evolution through hundreds of generations, some described in The theory of The Origin of the Species by means of Natural Selection, written by Charles Darwin, our most famous visitors to the Galápagos.
The hike was fascinating; in every single step we sighted something moving through the vegetation. This time of year everything is green, and we can find species of plants that only germinate during the raining season. We sighted one of the largest snakes that I had ever seen on this island, and it was having a meal. I believe the snake had just swallowed a lava lizard, and we got there on time to see this beautiful creature.
In the afternoon the Captain repositioned the ship to another location, Gardner Bay, where our guest enjoyed all kinds of water activities such as deep water snorkeling, glass bottom boating, kayaking, and sun bathing at the beach.
Today is our first full day in this remote group of islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. The visitor site for the morning was Punta Suarez, located in the western point of Española Island. This is considered, by geologists, the oldest island in the entire Galápagos; according to the plate tectonic theory, this island is far from the hot spot, as the Nazca Plate moves to the south east at a rate of five to seven centimetres per year.
Due to the age of the island there are several species unique, not just to the Galápagos, but endemic of this island in the whole world, found nowhere else, such as: Hood lava lizard, hood mocking bird, marine iguana, snake, and others. These species help us to understand the processes of evolution through hundreds of generations, some described in The theory of The Origin of the Species by means of Natural Selection, written by Charles Darwin, our most famous visitors to the Galápagos.
The hike was fascinating; in every single step we sighted something moving through the vegetation. This time of year everything is green, and we can find species of plants that only germinate during the raining season. We sighted one of the largest snakes that I had ever seen on this island, and it was having a meal. I believe the snake had just swallowed a lava lizard, and we got there on time to see this beautiful creature.
In the afternoon the Captain repositioned the ship to another location, Gardner Bay, where our guest enjoyed all kinds of water activities such as deep water snorkeling, glass bottom boating, kayaking, and sun bathing at the beach.
