Espanola Island
We are on Española, the southeastern most island of the archipelago. As it is far away from the Galápagos hot spot, it is an island without volcanic activity, and very small. The fact of being away from the source of heat is responsible for the contraction of the island. Erosion has also played a role. Because of all of these factors the island is only 675 feet high.
Today’s visit was spectacular. Right after we set foot on land we saw almost everything that can be seen. Playful sea lions seemingly waiting to see us were in the shallows of the landing site. Marine iguanas, as now it is their mating season, are really colorful, especially the males that get a turquoise tint. Because of the breeding season they are highly territorial, too. They were patrolling, moving back and forth, and did a lot of head bobbing in order to establish their territories. Many sea bird species were sighted along the beautiful cliffs of Punta Suarez, and some people even saw a few waved albatrosses, which are a rare sight this time of year. They were supposed to be gone from the islands starting the end of December. However, because we were Lindblad people, they decided to pay us a special visit.
We are on Española, the southeastern most island of the archipelago. As it is far away from the Galápagos hot spot, it is an island without volcanic activity, and very small. The fact of being away from the source of heat is responsible for the contraction of the island. Erosion has also played a role. Because of all of these factors the island is only 675 feet high.
Today’s visit was spectacular. Right after we set foot on land we saw almost everything that can be seen. Playful sea lions seemingly waiting to see us were in the shallows of the landing site. Marine iguanas, as now it is their mating season, are really colorful, especially the males that get a turquoise tint. Because of the breeding season they are highly territorial, too. They were patrolling, moving back and forth, and did a lot of head bobbing in order to establish their territories. Many sea bird species were sighted along the beautiful cliffs of Punta Suarez, and some people even saw a few waved albatrosses, which are a rare sight this time of year. They were supposed to be gone from the islands starting the end of December. However, because we were Lindblad people, they decided to pay us a special visit.
