Garner Bay and Punta Suarez, Espanola Island
As the day began we could see in the distance sea lions moving along the white sandy beach. After breakfast it was time to get the right snorkeling equipment on and get into the water, and right away several young sea lions began to swim around our group of explorers. They seemed to be especially attracted to the younger members of our team, probably interested in their colored fins and masks. All the young explorers almost unanimously decided that the sea lions swimming with them was one of the most interesting and exciting activities of the day. Later we moved to the beach at Gardner Bay and continued our encounters with sea lions, as more pups decided to meet and swim around several of us, every now and then even coming closer to sniff and nibble at us. Maybe the word spread around the colony and all of the young sea lions knew of the presence of “the new kids in town.”
After having a delicious lunch where we tasted the different cuisine of Ecuador it was time for a little rest, and to get some energy for the afternoon walk.
Upon disembarking at Punta Suarez we were met this time by the marine iguanas, not just one of them but several piled on top of each other. They were sniffing every now and then, most of them motionless, however occasionally one would crawl over the group of the others. We took a long walk that had lots of animals. There were more sea lions, and after that we witnessed a scene right out of a documentary: a yellow crowned night heron hunting a small marine iguana and swallowing it whole. We felt bad for the poor iguana, but the heron also has to eat and feed its young ones. As we advanced on the uneven terrain we found several blue footed boobies nesting by the trail, making several rounds as we approached, which reminded us that it is necessary to stay within a certain distance from their nests.
Finally it was time to see the waved albatross; first we saw a few chicks sitting on the ground with the adults nearby, others were doing their courtship dances, and another jumped off the cliff and graciously glided through the air. A great day in paradise, with experiences that only the Galápagos Islands can offer.
