Española Island
Our first full day this week on the Galápagos was amazing. Today we visited Espanola Island, the southern most island of the archipelago and also one of the oldest islands in the Galápagos (around 4 million years old). There was so much to see, enjoy and appreciate. It is sincerely difficult to summarise it in just a few words, so many feelings and new discoveries. Sea lions were all around us by the landing site. Observing these marine mammals was truly a delight for all of us. We observed them in every position you can imagine. They performed a real nature show! Some of the sea lions were very close to us; in some cases just a few inches away. It was hard for our guests to believe that these were wild animals! Juveniles were playing in the shallows, some females were nursing their babies and some males were guarding their territories. The sea lions were not, however, the only animals we thoroughly enjoyed. We saw many colourful marine iguanas. On Española Island these unique reptiles show a beautiful coloration, they are black and red; some show some green which is its characteristic breeding coloration. During this time of the year, most of the marine iguanas on the island are nesting. Hard working females were digging nests. It was amazing to observe this behaviour.
Some of the marine bird species were spectacular as well. The blue-footed boobies were both very special and the favourite of our guests. Today these famous seabirds were courting and dancing. Their extraordinary courtship was enjoyed at its most. We can’t wait to see what the next days will bring to our expedition around these enchanted islands.
Our first full day this week on the Galápagos was amazing. Today we visited Espanola Island, the southern most island of the archipelago and also one of the oldest islands in the Galápagos (around 4 million years old). There was so much to see, enjoy and appreciate. It is sincerely difficult to summarise it in just a few words, so many feelings and new discoveries. Sea lions were all around us by the landing site. Observing these marine mammals was truly a delight for all of us. We observed them in every position you can imagine. They performed a real nature show! Some of the sea lions were very close to us; in some cases just a few inches away. It was hard for our guests to believe that these were wild animals! Juveniles were playing in the shallows, some females were nursing their babies and some males were guarding their territories. The sea lions were not, however, the only animals we thoroughly enjoyed. We saw many colourful marine iguanas. On Española Island these unique reptiles show a beautiful coloration, they are black and red; some show some green which is its characteristic breeding coloration. During this time of the year, most of the marine iguanas on the island are nesting. Hard working females were digging nests. It was amazing to observe this behaviour.
Some of the marine bird species were spectacular as well. The blue-footed boobies were both very special and the favourite of our guests. Today these famous seabirds were courting and dancing. Their extraordinary courtship was enjoyed at its most. We can’t wait to see what the next days will bring to our expedition around these enchanted islands.
