We woke up anchored on the northern side of our oldest island in front of the white sandy Gardner Beach. After breakfast, some of our guests visited while others went snorkeling near a little island of the same name. The beach houses a large colony of Galapagos sea lions and Española mockingbirds that run about catching flies that are attracted to the sea lion scat. Española Island has the highest rate of endemism of the Galapagos due to its age and geographic isolation.
Punta Suarez was our next stop. It lies on the western side of Hood Island, and after a dry landing we walked on boulders to observe a unique landscape along with Darwin’s finches, blue-footed and Nazca boobies, Galapagos doves, Española lava lizards, colorful marine iguanas, Galapagos hawks and waved albatrosses.
