Española Island
Española is the oldest of a group of volcanoes formed by a hot spot in the bottom of the seas; it has been moving towards the South American continental plate at a speed of seven centimeters a year; the weathering has carved out most of its rocks leaving a shear-cut cliff on her southern side. This is the first island to be bathed by the cold nutrient-rich Humboldt Current.
Late March through early April, one of the most spectacular sea birds arrives to reproduce and if possible raise a chick that would be the same size as the parents by the end of December. After having produced an egg, the waved albatross females will sit on their nest between the rocks while the male leaves the island in search of fat-rich fish or squid; this flight may involve several hundreds of miles. Once he has found enough to eat, he returns to take his place on the nest and the female has the chance to go fishing for herself. After about sixty-three days a brown fluffy chick will emerge from the egg to be fed with oil collected and processed by both parents. In a few months the juvenile is ready to leave the island, not to come back until it has reached sexual maturity. Before leaving, he or she has learned to dance for a mate, land and take off by watching others do it.
They will all fly to cold water areas in the south-east Pacific, just a few miles off the coast of Peru looking for food, gathering strength, energy and fat.
When I see these colossal birds with their eight foot wingspan taking off, landing or flying over our heads, gliding in the air with such an incredible gracefulness, I think “Will this be the last flight of this particular waved albatross? What will his fate be? Will he be able to escape the long lines, gill nets or fishermen who are killing them for food and causing a big decline in their numbers?”
Hopefully not, we want to see them return here mastering the air, sharing the island with Galápagos sea lions, lava lizards, marine iguanas, Galápagos doves, Galápagos hawks, Darwin’s finches, blue-footed and Nazca boobies.
The land is full of life, and so is the sea. We can certainly say that we have been blessed for having the chance to see a unique place like this, where the animals do not only let us be so close but they come to introduce themselves.
Española is the oldest of a group of volcanoes formed by a hot spot in the bottom of the seas; it has been moving towards the South American continental plate at a speed of seven centimeters a year; the weathering has carved out most of its rocks leaving a shear-cut cliff on her southern side. This is the first island to be bathed by the cold nutrient-rich Humboldt Current.
Late March through early April, one of the most spectacular sea birds arrives to reproduce and if possible raise a chick that would be the same size as the parents by the end of December. After having produced an egg, the waved albatross females will sit on their nest between the rocks while the male leaves the island in search of fat-rich fish or squid; this flight may involve several hundreds of miles. Once he has found enough to eat, he returns to take his place on the nest and the female has the chance to go fishing for herself. After about sixty-three days a brown fluffy chick will emerge from the egg to be fed with oil collected and processed by both parents. In a few months the juvenile is ready to leave the island, not to come back until it has reached sexual maturity. Before leaving, he or she has learned to dance for a mate, land and take off by watching others do it.
They will all fly to cold water areas in the south-east Pacific, just a few miles off the coast of Peru looking for food, gathering strength, energy and fat.
When I see these colossal birds with their eight foot wingspan taking off, landing or flying over our heads, gliding in the air with such an incredible gracefulness, I think “Will this be the last flight of this particular waved albatross? What will his fate be? Will he be able to escape the long lines, gill nets or fishermen who are killing them for food and causing a big decline in their numbers?”
Hopefully not, we want to see them return here mastering the air, sharing the island with Galápagos sea lions, lava lizards, marine iguanas, Galápagos doves, Galápagos hawks, Darwin’s finches, blue-footed and Nazca boobies.
The land is full of life, and so is the sea. We can certainly say that we have been blessed for having the chance to see a unique place like this, where the animals do not only let us be so close but they come to introduce themselves.
