Our first full day! Today we got to spend the entire day visiting Espanola, the southeasternmost island in the archipelago.
Our plan to maximize the morning at Gardner Bay worked out well. We enjoyed a pre-breakfast visit to Gardner Beach with Galapagos sea lions sleeping or jostling for position on the white sand. Espanola mockingbirds and Espanola ground finches showed up, and the breeze kept temperatures comfortable.
After breakfast on board, we finally got into the water for some snorkeling. On the beach, we practiced and tested the equipment. From Zodiacs, we had an opportunity to get into the water. We enjoyed an impressive first visit of the underwater realm with Galapagos sharks, Galapagos sea lions, blacktip sharks, spotted eagle rays, parrotfish, and schools of hundreds of razor surgeonfish.
The afternoon was filled with two presentations on "Oceanography and Geology" and "Photography Elements." We enjoyed an opportunity to use the fantail as a platform for a quick dip. Then we set out for a Zodiac ride along the coast before sunset. It was perfectly timed, as many seabirds were coming home to roost for the night. The nocturnal swallow-tailed gulls were just waking up and getting ready for a night of squid fishing!
