Española Island
It is our last day in this remote paradise, and early in the morning we dropped anchor at Gardner Bay, which is part of Española. This southern island is the oldest of the archipelago, having surfaced over 4 million years ago. Being on the path of the southeastern trade winds, organisms have arrived onto this island by chance long ago, where they have remained in total isolation. Therefore, the rate of endemism amongst the species found here is pretty amazing.
This morning we had a last chance to experience the wonderful underwater world of the Galápagos, along the shores of Gardner Islet. Here, a playful Galápagos sea lion followed us all along the way, and with its ‘ballerina’ movements in the water made us all feel pretty clumsy! To many, the innocence of this young animal approaching snorkelers with total ease will be simply unforgettable.
Gardner Bay is also the location of one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. Upon landing on it, we couldn’t deny this: turquoise, crystal-clear waters, fine, white-coralline sand and dozens of sea lions basking in the sun. All morning, the good weather accompanied us today, with sunny and cloudy spells.
Towards midday we returned on board the National Geographic Islander in order to navigate west towards Punta Suarez for our afternoon visit. Punta Suarez is a remarkable place, not only because of its stunning landscapes, but mainly because of its wildlife. Many of the endemic Española species are found here, like an endemic subspecies of marine iguana. During their breeding season, that is towards December, these iguanas acquire a green and red coloration, for which they’re commonly known as the ‘Christmas’ iguanas. Here we can also easily spot the Española lava lizard, also more colorful and larger than anywhere else in the Galápagos. Endemic Española mockingbirds entertained us along the trail, either by following us or chasing other ‘intruders’ off their territories.
This island is also the home to a large population of waved albatrosses, which nest around this particular area. Albatrosses breed on Española from April to December, and migrate south during the remainder of the year when the Galápagos waters are warmer. They seem to have had a successful breeding year, with over two dozens chicks having so far survived just along this trail. They are still attached to their birth place, but they have already lost their coat of brown down to a proper plumage. By the end of the month, they will be gone, and won’t come back for at least five years.
We also observed a large colony of Nazca boobies, which have already started their breeding season. At the south facing end of the trail, an impressive ‘blowhole’ spouted a huge column of water, aided by strong wave action. Tomorrow, a plane will take us back to reality, but hopefully Galápagos will stay like this in our memories, oblivious to time and modern civilization.
