Española Island
In the early morning hours, Captain Fausto Hinojosa dropped anchor off the westernmost point of this unique island, Punta Suarez. On landing we were immediately greeted by colonies of marine iguanas and sea lions, both species endemic (unique) to Galapagos. Our guests arrived on shore for a new adventure on this island that is always full of surprises. Punta Suarez is one of those places where you can see almost everything right after you disembark.
After landing, a beautiful trail took us through a Nazca booby colony. They nest along the cliffs, as they are the heaviest and largest boobies. Being on the edge makes it much easier for them to take off. After our Nazca booby experience, the spectacular views of the blowhole amazed us. Plumes of seawater are blown sky high when the waves hit a fissure in the lava at just the right angle.
Everything was just perfect: nice sunlight and a good breeze. But our greatest surprise and highlight of the morning was to find the first waved albatross of the season. He was at the so-called albatross airport, and he was alone. This is the first one to arrive, a bit early, but he has gotten to Española for the sole purpose of breeding. We were really fortunate to spot the first Albatross of this year, as this is another endemic species that nests only on this island, and nowhere else in the world, although when out of breeding season it may travel thousands of miles out to sea. However, I am not sending its picture. At the end of the day, a shark stole the show. This time of year is the best for snorkeling, as the water is warm and clear, and the colorful reef fish that we swim amongst are almost overwhelming in sheer numbers. I personally always feel much closer to the underwater world, having studied marine biology, and sharks in particular always amaze me with their sinuous and elegant movement through the water. The most common species to be seen in Galapagos is the white-tipped reef shark, which is particularly enjoyable to encounter, as it is not only supremely graceful, but utterly harmless as well!
In the early morning hours, Captain Fausto Hinojosa dropped anchor off the westernmost point of this unique island, Punta Suarez. On landing we were immediately greeted by colonies of marine iguanas and sea lions, both species endemic (unique) to Galapagos. Our guests arrived on shore for a new adventure on this island that is always full of surprises. Punta Suarez is one of those places where you can see almost everything right after you disembark.
After landing, a beautiful trail took us through a Nazca booby colony. They nest along the cliffs, as they are the heaviest and largest boobies. Being on the edge makes it much easier for them to take off. After our Nazca booby experience, the spectacular views of the blowhole amazed us. Plumes of seawater are blown sky high when the waves hit a fissure in the lava at just the right angle.
Everything was just perfect: nice sunlight and a good breeze. But our greatest surprise and highlight of the morning was to find the first waved albatross of the season. He was at the so-called albatross airport, and he was alone. This is the first one to arrive, a bit early, but he has gotten to Española for the sole purpose of breeding. We were really fortunate to spot the first Albatross of this year, as this is another endemic species that nests only on this island, and nowhere else in the world, although when out of breeding season it may travel thousands of miles out to sea. However, I am not sending its picture. At the end of the day, a shark stole the show. This time of year is the best for snorkeling, as the water is warm and clear, and the colorful reef fish that we swim amongst are almost overwhelming in sheer numbers. I personally always feel much closer to the underwater world, having studied marine biology, and sharks in particular always amaze me with their sinuous and elegant movement through the water. The most common species to be seen in Galapagos is the white-tipped reef shark, which is particularly enjoyable to encounter, as it is not only supremely graceful, but utterly harmless as well!
