Espanola Island
We thought that the albatrosses of Espanola were already gone, because by the end of December, they fly a few hundred miles away from shore in search of food when their breeding season is over. We went to the island with the hope of finding at least one, but to our surprise there were about a dozen of them on land, close to the southern cliffs. Those who chose to do the short walk combined with a Zodiac ride saw approximately fifty albatrosses floating together half a mile south from the point. It was a completely unexpected sight, something that fulfilled our hearts, encountering the largest sea bird of the Galápagos still around.
And if Albatrosses impressed us the most, we also found iguanas in breeding colors, and dozens of baby sea lions playing in the tidal pools, and mockingbirds flying over our heads, and a couple of Galápagos hawks.
I loved the snorkeling in the afternoon. There was fifty-foot visibility water, and we found golden rays and spotted eagle rays, sharks and schools of Salemas, surgeon fish and Creole fish among others. During sunset time, we had the wonderful view of the several kayakers heading back to Polaris. The rocks behind them looked reddish with the last sun rays, and they were glowing with the satisfaction of having had a great time in communion with the island, with the silence and peace that one can only have in a kayak.
We thought that the albatrosses of Espanola were already gone, because by the end of December, they fly a few hundred miles away from shore in search of food when their breeding season is over. We went to the island with the hope of finding at least one, but to our surprise there were about a dozen of them on land, close to the southern cliffs. Those who chose to do the short walk combined with a Zodiac ride saw approximately fifty albatrosses floating together half a mile south from the point. It was a completely unexpected sight, something that fulfilled our hearts, encountering the largest sea bird of the Galápagos still around.
And if Albatrosses impressed us the most, we also found iguanas in breeding colors, and dozens of baby sea lions playing in the tidal pools, and mockingbirds flying over our heads, and a couple of Galápagos hawks.
I loved the snorkeling in the afternoon. There was fifty-foot visibility water, and we found golden rays and spotted eagle rays, sharks and schools of Salemas, surgeon fish and Creole fish among others. During sunset time, we had the wonderful view of the several kayakers heading back to Polaris. The rocks behind them looked reddish with the last sun rays, and they were glowing with the satisfaction of having had a great time in communion with the island, with the silence and peace that one can only have in a kayak.
