There is no better way to enjoy the first full day of our expedition than by visiting one of the most stunning islands of the Galápagos: Española. Located in the southeast, it endures the force of both the South Equatorial Current and the trade winds, particularly at this time of the year. Española is one of the oldest islands and thus has a high rate of endemic species. There are just two visitor sites on the island, Gardner Bay and Punta Suárez, which means most of its area is off-limits to humans, remaining totally protected.
7/3/2022
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National Geographic Endeavour II
North Seymour and Rábida
For this first full day, we started with a walk over North Seymour Island, located on the north side of Baltra Island (officially known as South Seymour). This uplifted island is also known as Bird Island. It is home to a nice community of marine birds, such as blue-footed boobies, two species of frigatebirds, and swallow-tailed gulls (the only nocturnal gull). For our afternoon activities, we snorkeled by a red colored beach on Rábida island. We concluded the day with a stroll over an iron-oxide beach. Along the trail, we explored a saltwater lagoon with sixteen American flamingos. We even saw some nests!
