Española Island

What a wonderful day we had today.

We started the day on the southeastern part of the archipelago, Española Island. We disembarked for close encounters with the unique species that coexistence there, such as marine iguanas, mocking birds, lava lizards and many other species endemic to Española. It is the beginning of an awakening, the adaptations of species according to their environment, the biodiversity of “ecological naïve” creatures going about their business on this wonderful place called the Galápagos Islands.

Our walk took place over boulders for about two miles as we visited different ecosystems. On the way we reached volcanic features like the famous blow hole and an impressive cliff. We also visited Nazca boobies, Galápagos doves and blue-footed boobies, among many other animals. Some even saw in the distance the first incoming waved albatross. The turquoise ocean, the blue sky, the gentle breeze, the hot sun, all our sense are keen to see more. Of course our ever present friends, the sea lions, are the most amusing for our guests, always mesmerizing us with their acrobatic maneuvers.

Once onboard, our expedition leader starts her talk about safety procedures for water activities, while the naturalists are ready to provide the snorkeling gear at the top of the ship. Meanwhile, our Captain repositions to our next visitor site, Gardner Bay.

A white sandy beach over a mile long, surrounded with more than one hundred sea lions and warm calm seas, invited us to swim and play. Today we had many choices for water activities, from shallow and deep water snorkeling, to glass button boating and kayaking, to simply taking a walk on the beach. We all had fun regardless which activity we chose to maximize our experience.

Back aboard, we are almost ready for our recap (Lindblad’s fleet tradition) and we are very eager to share our first full day on the Enchanted Islands.