For our first full day in the Galapagos Islands we anchored at Española, the southernmost and oldest island of the archipelago. We started our day with an early morning walk over Gardner Beach, the beautiful turquoise water contrasting with white, coralline sand and black volcanic rocks. As we explored the area, we were captivated by its charming wildlife, including the Galapagos sea lions and Española mockingbirds. By the late morning we also had the opportunity to discover the underwater world of this island.

In the afternoon National Geographic Endeavour II navigated to Punta Suarez, located on the northwestern side of Española. Here we concluded our day with a Zodiac exploration along its coastline, surrounded by a curious pod of bottlenose dolphins! We couldn’t imagine a better end to today’s adventures.