Española Island
This morning we visited Española Island. We disembarked in a nice place called Suarez Point where we could observe innumerous birds and reptilian creatures. What called my attention today were the numbers of marine iguanas that we saw in the trail. Most of them happened to be males and had a particular coloration on their backs, with red on their back and green on their arms. The Galápagos people call this species the Christmas marine iguana; not only for the red color but also because the males get this coloration mainly in December, the breeding season for marine iguanas in Galápagos. We also saw some blue-footed and Nazca boobies that were nesting right in the middle of the trail. Our guests couldn’t believe how close these birds were to us, and how they didn’t care when we walked by them.
In the afternoon we visited a nice beach completely covered with sea lions. I never get tired of seeing these amazing marine mammals. The Galápagos sea lions are a good example of freedom and passivity; to see these animals takes you to a different dimension in Galápagos. They have, in my point of view, an enviable life. They rest on this sandy area until midday, after which they go for a couple of hours to play in the waves and catch some fish. Fishing seems so easy here in the islands for the abundance of marine life. After this they return to the shore and rest on the beach. It’s funny how they crawl over their friends to dry faster, and end up resting right in the middle of them.
We finished our day watching these mammals on the beautiful white beach of Gardner Bay, Española Island.
This morning we visited Española Island. We disembarked in a nice place called Suarez Point where we could observe innumerous birds and reptilian creatures. What called my attention today were the numbers of marine iguanas that we saw in the trail. Most of them happened to be males and had a particular coloration on their backs, with red on their back and green on their arms. The Galápagos people call this species the Christmas marine iguana; not only for the red color but also because the males get this coloration mainly in December, the breeding season for marine iguanas in Galápagos. We also saw some blue-footed and Nazca boobies that were nesting right in the middle of the trail. Our guests couldn’t believe how close these birds were to us, and how they didn’t care when we walked by them.
In the afternoon we visited a nice beach completely covered with sea lions. I never get tired of seeing these amazing marine mammals. The Galápagos sea lions are a good example of freedom and passivity; to see these animals takes you to a different dimension in Galápagos. They have, in my point of view, an enviable life. They rest on this sandy area until midday, after which they go for a couple of hours to play in the waves and catch some fish. Fishing seems so easy here in the islands for the abundance of marine life. After this they return to the shore and rest on the beach. It’s funny how they crawl over their friends to dry faster, and end up resting right in the middle of them.
We finished our day watching these mammals on the beautiful white beach of Gardner Bay, Española Island.
