Española Island
Early risers had an interesting kayak experience around Gardner Islet, as we arrived to Española Island, the southeastern-most and at the same time the oldest island in the archipelago.
After breakfast our morning started as a very busy one. It seemed like nobody wanted to waste any time on the very last day of the cruise. Incredible crystal clear waters and millions of cardinal fish covered the entire walls of the snorkeling site; a baby Manta Ray joined us as if she wanted to be part of the group. For beachgoers there were a couple of hundred sea lions, mostly females with babies and young calves that wanted to sneak in and nurse while the adults were taking a nap. They did not succeed!
After lunch, we sailed west to Punta Suarez. High tides made disembarkation not so easy. The walk started right at the beginning of the trail… the two little beaches had to wait until we came back. We visited the colony of Nazca boobies with their amazing whiteness; some fluffy chicks were cooling down on their own, protection was no longer necessary as they had reached their parents’ size. Love was in the air for blue-footed boobies that had begun the courtship process, as we walked along the path.
Not only birds were active this afternoon; several female marine iguanas were into nesting. They looked like they had been actively working on producing the eggs and the hardest part of the job not over yet. Making the nests kept them busy. Española lava lizards were showing off their bright colors and aggressive behavior. Many females had a big belly and were also looking for nesting sites.
As we ended the walk this afternoon, a hawk came to say goodbye. We returned to the NG Islander leaving paradise behind…
Early risers had an interesting kayak experience around Gardner Islet, as we arrived to Española Island, the southeastern-most and at the same time the oldest island in the archipelago.
After breakfast our morning started as a very busy one. It seemed like nobody wanted to waste any time on the very last day of the cruise. Incredible crystal clear waters and millions of cardinal fish covered the entire walls of the snorkeling site; a baby Manta Ray joined us as if she wanted to be part of the group. For beachgoers there were a couple of hundred sea lions, mostly females with babies and young calves that wanted to sneak in and nurse while the adults were taking a nap. They did not succeed!
After lunch, we sailed west to Punta Suarez. High tides made disembarkation not so easy. The walk started right at the beginning of the trail… the two little beaches had to wait until we came back. We visited the colony of Nazca boobies with their amazing whiteness; some fluffy chicks were cooling down on their own, protection was no longer necessary as they had reached their parents’ size. Love was in the air for blue-footed boobies that had begun the courtship process, as we walked along the path.
Not only birds were active this afternoon; several female marine iguanas were into nesting. They looked like they had been actively working on producing the eggs and the hardest part of the job not over yet. Making the nests kept them busy. Española lava lizards were showing off their bright colors and aggressive behavior. Many females had a big belly and were also looking for nesting sites.
As we ended the walk this afternoon, a hawk came to say goodbye. We returned to the NG Islander leaving paradise behind…
