Española Island
This is a very special date and we had a fantastic day to go right along with it! Our last day on this voyage through the Islas Encantadas was spent on Española or Hood Island. Though it is quite hard to choose, I think that Española is my favorite island: at least today it was. We started the morning off lazily, sleeping in until 0800 and then enjoying a bountiful buffet breakfast in the Islander’s cozy dining room. The water lovers among us – and there has been a grand group of them all week long – wiggled into their wetsuits for a final snorkeling outing along the offshore islet of Gardner. We were delighted with another opportunity to twirl and swirl with graceful and friendly young sea lions. The water was clear and calm and though there were only a few colorful fish, the sea lions were fabulous!
There were two rounds of kayaking today. We paddled energetically along the northern coast of Española, enjoying the majesty of the sky, the clouds, the rocks and the sea and a few sea lions and sea turtles that swam near. The weather was schizophrenic: at times sunny, warm, garua gray, cool and/or drizzly wet. We explored the shoreline for an hour and were picked up by Zodiac and ferried to the ship and then later to shore.
On the gorgeous, mile long, fine, white sand beach we relaxed among the sea lions. Big males barked and patrolled, beginning to set up territories in anticipation of the females giving birth and going into estrus. Younger males pushed and fought in mock battles that imitate the serious fights they will have later in life. Large pups suckled – they will soon be ousted when the new pups are born. Brazen Española mocking birds, the one species of mocker that Darwin did not see, hopped and peeked on our towels and back packs always in search of an edible tidbit or a drink. What a great morning!
In the afternoon we made a dry landing on a crumbling cement dock and were greeted by sea lions, reddish marine iguanas and large lava lizards. Punta Suarez was teeming with sea birds; blue-footed boobies, swallow tailed gulls, red billed tropic birds, Nazca boobies and the splendid, waved albatross all have breeding colonies here. We found chicks of all species and sizes and watched in delight as several albatross pairs did snatches of their elaborate – and amusing – courtship dance. The blow hole spurted foam and spray into the air and the wind and waves pounded the dramatic cliffs of the island. This was a spectacular final walk and it was a good end to our voyage. Here the goats were eradicated completely in the late 60’s and the tortoises have been saved from extinction. Two thousand repatriated tortoises now roam the island and they are again breeding in the wild. We did not see them today on our walk, but we were thrilled to be part of this wild and natural setting for an afternoon and will long remember our voyage in the magical Galápagos.
This is a very special date and we had a fantastic day to go right along with it! Our last day on this voyage through the Islas Encantadas was spent on Española or Hood Island. Though it is quite hard to choose, I think that Española is my favorite island: at least today it was. We started the morning off lazily, sleeping in until 0800 and then enjoying a bountiful buffet breakfast in the Islander’s cozy dining room. The water lovers among us – and there has been a grand group of them all week long – wiggled into their wetsuits for a final snorkeling outing along the offshore islet of Gardner. We were delighted with another opportunity to twirl and swirl with graceful and friendly young sea lions. The water was clear and calm and though there were only a few colorful fish, the sea lions were fabulous!
There were two rounds of kayaking today. We paddled energetically along the northern coast of Española, enjoying the majesty of the sky, the clouds, the rocks and the sea and a few sea lions and sea turtles that swam near. The weather was schizophrenic: at times sunny, warm, garua gray, cool and/or drizzly wet. We explored the shoreline for an hour and were picked up by Zodiac and ferried to the ship and then later to shore.
On the gorgeous, mile long, fine, white sand beach we relaxed among the sea lions. Big males barked and patrolled, beginning to set up territories in anticipation of the females giving birth and going into estrus. Younger males pushed and fought in mock battles that imitate the serious fights they will have later in life. Large pups suckled – they will soon be ousted when the new pups are born. Brazen Española mocking birds, the one species of mocker that Darwin did not see, hopped and peeked on our towels and back packs always in search of an edible tidbit or a drink. What a great morning!
In the afternoon we made a dry landing on a crumbling cement dock and were greeted by sea lions, reddish marine iguanas and large lava lizards. Punta Suarez was teeming with sea birds; blue-footed boobies, swallow tailed gulls, red billed tropic birds, Nazca boobies and the splendid, waved albatross all have breeding colonies here. We found chicks of all species and sizes and watched in delight as several albatross pairs did snatches of their elaborate – and amusing – courtship dance. The blow hole spurted foam and spray into the air and the wind and waves pounded the dramatic cliffs of the island. This was a spectacular final walk and it was a good end to our voyage. Here the goats were eradicated completely in the late 60’s and the tortoises have been saved from extinction. Two thousand repatriated tortoises now roam the island and they are again breeding in the wild. We did not see them today on our walk, but we were thrilled to be part of this wild and natural setting for an afternoon and will long remember our voyage in the magical Galápagos.
