Espanola Island
“Woo!” Our kayakers exclaimed this morning at 6:15 a.m., as soon as they started the fascinating adventure of exploring the shore and its wildlife. Espanola is one small island at the west part of Galapagos, and perhaps the oldest one. The animal density here is astonishing; everywhere you go you find creatures: marine iguanas, hawks, mockingbirds, finches, frigates, sea birds, albatrosses and much more.
After kayaking we came back to the National Geographic Islander, we had breakfast and then got ready for the first snorkeling of the week. It is very nice to see all the enthusiasm shown by our travelers when they come up to the sundeck to pick the snorkeling gear. It is like a kid with a new toy, indeed! To snorkel in the Galapagos’ waters is one of the most amazing experiences you can have here. To have sea lions playing – yes – virtually playing with you, sharks that are so tame, fish, sea stars, and sea urchins everywhere is just unique, a treasure you find below the surface of the Galapagos.
Well, here we are in the water. I took our underwater camera to film all the marine life. The first footage I got was a marine turtle, swimming so slowly, floating in front of our eyes. We stayed a few minutes just contemplating this amazing marine reptile. How they live in this submarine world that we don’t see every day. It is an unrepeatable and unforgettable moment. After this activity we returned to our ship, and then we went to walk on Gardner Beach, always we find a big colony of sea lions basking under the warm sun of the equator, many pups were playing in the white coralline sand. It was an impressive beginning of our week-long expedition!
In the afternoon we explored the land along this beautiful island. Punta Suarez was our landing spot, and we found more wildlife: Sally Light-foot crabs, Nazca boobies, swallow-tailed gulls, Galapagos doves, and an array of Darwin finches. The highlights were the few remaining waved albatrosses that we were able to spot, both in the air and on the ground as well. Of course, we also met sea lions, as we crossed several colonies including a bachelor’s colony. Baby sea lions were again the stars of the show.
Española Island was definitely the best way to be introduced to the wonders of the Galapagos.
