Española Island
March in the Galapagos Islands – when home is cold and gray and winter seems never to be ending, the hot tropical conditions in the islands at this time of year are perfect to dissipate those winter blues. Having just returned from the chilly conditions of London, the warm air that greeted us on arrival at Baltra airport was thrilling. It was also for me a great surprise to see just how green and lush the usually arid islands had become in my absence. The waters are unbelievably warm at the moment, at 82 degrees Fahrenheit, and these warm up the air and cause sporadic showers that led to this near-miraculous transformation, as the drought-deciduous Palo Santo trees (Bursera graveolens) that cover the archipelago have burst into leaf on receiving much coveted fresh water. The whole archipelago is an explosion of bright and beautiful colors at the moment: green islands lined with sparkling white sandy beaches, shorelines bathed with turquoise waters that just beg to be dived into.
Our first excursions of the week were on the southeastern-most island of Española, home to large colonies of sea birds, sea lions and the wonderfully colorful and unique subspecies of marine iguanas: red, black and turquoise at this time of the year. This island is one of the oldest of the archipelago, at approximately 4 million years of age, so is in an advanced eroded state, making recognition of its original structure a little tenuous. Our walk took us along the southern coastal cliffs of Española, probably caused by erosion by the strong currents in the area: a truly spectacular sight. Clearly visible were the strata of successive basaltic lava flows that made up the island, and those who did not take the walk had the opportunity to admire the scenery from a Zodiac which cruised round the back of the island.
March in the Galapagos Islands – when home is cold and gray and winter seems never to be ending, the hot tropical conditions in the islands at this time of year are perfect to dissipate those winter blues. Having just returned from the chilly conditions of London, the warm air that greeted us on arrival at Baltra airport was thrilling. It was also for me a great surprise to see just how green and lush the usually arid islands had become in my absence. The waters are unbelievably warm at the moment, at 82 degrees Fahrenheit, and these warm up the air and cause sporadic showers that led to this near-miraculous transformation, as the drought-deciduous Palo Santo trees (Bursera graveolens) that cover the archipelago have burst into leaf on receiving much coveted fresh water. The whole archipelago is an explosion of bright and beautiful colors at the moment: green islands lined with sparkling white sandy beaches, shorelines bathed with turquoise waters that just beg to be dived into.
Our first excursions of the week were on the southeastern-most island of Española, home to large colonies of sea birds, sea lions and the wonderfully colorful and unique subspecies of marine iguanas: red, black and turquoise at this time of the year. This island is one of the oldest of the archipelago, at approximately 4 million years of age, so is in an advanced eroded state, making recognition of its original structure a little tenuous. Our walk took us along the southern coastal cliffs of Española, probably caused by erosion by the strong currents in the area: a truly spectacular sight. Clearly visible were the strata of successive basaltic lava flows that made up the island, and those who did not take the walk had the opportunity to admire the scenery from a Zodiac which cruised round the back of the island.
