Española Island
This was our first full day around the Galápagos Islands. The National Geographic Polaris took us to one of the oldest islands in the archipelago, Española. We had a general wake up call at 6:30 am in order to get ready for breakfast before our first morning adventure in Punta Suarez. At this site we found several species of animals that are only endemic on Española Island. From the very moment we disembarked we were lucky to see species such as: Española mockingbirds, Española lava lizards and Española marine iguanas. Other species that were spotted included Warbler finches, small ground finches, large cactus finches, and the main predator in the avian group of the islands: the Galápagos Hawk.
Later in the morning we walked a path inland and spotted the Waved Albatross, one of the highlights of our day. These beautiful birds are considered to be sophisticated flying machines. Albatross carry their lives in the open ocean, only coming on land when they are ready to breed. The breeding season takes place every year on Española Island, and right now they are at their peak time of courtship. Over six hundred nautical miles separate the eastern cost of South America from the Galápagos Islands. The Waved Albatross fly over this huge territory. It is amazing to think how far these species have to fly in order to breed. What is even more exciting is that they only breed on Española Island and nowhere else. After this amazing morning and once everyone was onboard, the National Geographic Polaris was repositioned to Gardner Bay for our afternoon activities.
After a delightful Ecuadorian lunch buffet, we had time to rest before our activities planned for the rest of the day. At 2:45 pm we started our first glass bottom boat outing, followed by deep water snorkelers, and last but not the least those who preferred to go straight to one of the most beautiful beaches in the archipelago. Gardner Beach has pure white sand and it is literally covered with Galápagos sea lions. Little by little our Zodiacs made their way to the beach; whether from glass bottom boats, deep water snorkeling outings, or the ship. Some guests opted to explore the costal area of Gardner Bay using kayaks.
We all came onboard the National Geographic Polaris around six in the evening with our minds and spirits filled with new experiences. We can hardly wait for tomorrow!
This was our first full day around the Galápagos Islands. The National Geographic Polaris took us to one of the oldest islands in the archipelago, Española. We had a general wake up call at 6:30 am in order to get ready for breakfast before our first morning adventure in Punta Suarez. At this site we found several species of animals that are only endemic on Española Island. From the very moment we disembarked we were lucky to see species such as: Española mockingbirds, Española lava lizards and Española marine iguanas. Other species that were spotted included Warbler finches, small ground finches, large cactus finches, and the main predator in the avian group of the islands: the Galápagos Hawk.
Later in the morning we walked a path inland and spotted the Waved Albatross, one of the highlights of our day. These beautiful birds are considered to be sophisticated flying machines. Albatross carry their lives in the open ocean, only coming on land when they are ready to breed. The breeding season takes place every year on Española Island, and right now they are at their peak time of courtship. Over six hundred nautical miles separate the eastern cost of South America from the Galápagos Islands. The Waved Albatross fly over this huge territory. It is amazing to think how far these species have to fly in order to breed. What is even more exciting is that they only breed on Española Island and nowhere else. After this amazing morning and once everyone was onboard, the National Geographic Polaris was repositioned to Gardner Bay for our afternoon activities.
After a delightful Ecuadorian lunch buffet, we had time to rest before our activities planned for the rest of the day. At 2:45 pm we started our first glass bottom boat outing, followed by deep water snorkelers, and last but not the least those who preferred to go straight to one of the most beautiful beaches in the archipelago. Gardner Beach has pure white sand and it is literally covered with Galápagos sea lions. Little by little our Zodiacs made their way to the beach; whether from glass bottom boats, deep water snorkeling outings, or the ship. Some guests opted to explore the costal area of Gardner Bay using kayaks.
We all came onboard the National Geographic Polaris around six in the evening with our minds and spirits filled with new experiences. We can hardly wait for tomorrow!
