Hood Island
“Thus each separate island of the Galápagos archipelago is tenanted, and the fact is a marvelous one, by many different species; but these species are related to each other in a very much closer manner than to the inhabitants of the American continent, or of any other quarter of the world.”
- The Origin of Species (by Charles Darwin)
We are now in the oldest realm of the archipelago, one of the most beautiful places for all of us. Hood Island has the most exceptional species of plants and animals found here and nowhere else on the planet. We headed ashore this morning to Punta Suarez; there we were followed by Hood mockingbirds, dazzled by the bright red and green color of the marine iguanas, and got very excited seeing a juvenile Galápagos waved albatross jumping of the cliffs for its very first time. In the last weeks, we had seen less numbers of young albatross on the island; some are still here, but it is really moving to be able to see them hatch, grow, fledge, and finally see them departing to the cool, nutrient-rich waters off the coast of Peru. Some of these juveniles will come back to Galápagos in four or five years to find a mate for life. For the next three months, albatrosses will be away from here but when they arrive it will be a moment of big joy.
In the afternoon we had a wide selection of activities. We went deep water snorkeling, to the beach on Gardner Bay, for a great ride on our glass bottom boat, and kayaking along the cliffs of Gardner Islet. Guests could combine some of these activities and many tried almost all of them. Others had a nice relaxing time surrounded by Galápagos sea lions on the beach.
As we leave behind Hood Island and sail to Floreana Island, we take with us a lot of irreplaceable memories, as well as eagerness to see more of this paradise.
