Española Island
This island is definitely considered a jewel in the Galápagos; what a charming place! It was an outstanding outing full of unforgettable experiences.
For the morning we landed on a white sandy beach, home to hundreds of Galápagos sea lions. These are probably one of the friendliest looking marine mammals of this archipelago. The majority of them were simply basking under the tropical sun (as if they needed to work on their tans…) and their curiosity goes far beyond the imaginable. As we were disembarking, some of the juveniles approached the Zodiac, as if giving us a warm welcome to their kingdom. As the day got hotter snorkeling became the most reasonable alternative. The marine life was at its best! As soon as we jumped into the water, a large group of fish was encountered forming large schools, and at the same time, blue-footed boobies were plunging on a desperate attempt to catch some of the fish. As we were exploring the underwater ecosystem, it was remarkable to find that even the smallest areas are occupied by smaller species of fish. The minute barnacle blennies were found hiding inside the already empty barnacles on the rocks. And then, the masters of the seas, the sharks, were found resting in a log-like position on the sandy bottom.
By the afternoon we found ourselves visiting a different area called Punta Suarez. This was definitely a once in a lifetime experience, as we walked literally through boobies and albatross colonies nearly covering the entire island. Once in a while we were interrogated by the charming and friendly Española mockingbird, which is presently abundant in this island, and it was continuously chanting its loud song whenever it could. This spot in the island is not only full of wildlife, but the scenery is impressive as well! Dramatic cliffs that host hundreds of swallow-tailed gulls and the recently declared “endemic” Galápagos shearwater, was also found in the area. As you probably figured out already, this was a more than perfect way to end our expedition in the Galápagos.
This island is definitely considered a jewel in the Galápagos; what a charming place! It was an outstanding outing full of unforgettable experiences.
For the morning we landed on a white sandy beach, home to hundreds of Galápagos sea lions. These are probably one of the friendliest looking marine mammals of this archipelago. The majority of them were simply basking under the tropical sun (as if they needed to work on their tans…) and their curiosity goes far beyond the imaginable. As we were disembarking, some of the juveniles approached the Zodiac, as if giving us a warm welcome to their kingdom. As the day got hotter snorkeling became the most reasonable alternative. The marine life was at its best! As soon as we jumped into the water, a large group of fish was encountered forming large schools, and at the same time, blue-footed boobies were plunging on a desperate attempt to catch some of the fish. As we were exploring the underwater ecosystem, it was remarkable to find that even the smallest areas are occupied by smaller species of fish. The minute barnacle blennies were found hiding inside the already empty barnacles on the rocks. And then, the masters of the seas, the sharks, were found resting in a log-like position on the sandy bottom.
By the afternoon we found ourselves visiting a different area called Punta Suarez. This was definitely a once in a lifetime experience, as we walked literally through boobies and albatross colonies nearly covering the entire island. Once in a while we were interrogated by the charming and friendly Española mockingbird, which is presently abundant in this island, and it was continuously chanting its loud song whenever it could. This spot in the island is not only full of wildlife, but the scenery is impressive as well! Dramatic cliffs that host hundreds of swallow-tailed gulls and the recently declared “endemic” Galápagos shearwater, was also found in the area. As you probably figured out already, this was a more than perfect way to end our expedition in the Galápagos.
