Española Island
Española Island is one of the oldest here in Galápagos. It is estimated to be somewhere between three and a half to four and a half millions of years of age. In contrast, the youngest island in the archipelago is only a couple of hundred thousand years.
Espanola island is very well known because of the amount of birds found in its surroundings. Blue footed boobies, Nazca boobies and albatrosses are the main group of bird species that domain this place.
The waved albatross is also called the Galápagos albatross because they happen to be endemic to the archipelago. Some of the last few pairs are still on the island waiting for their last immature feathers to fall off. Then, all of them would be off to the open sea for quite a few months, and in the case of the young albatrosses, it would be no less than four years before they set foot on dry land again.
These birds migrate normally by the end of December, but perhaps this year the weather in the Galápagos might have changed their pattern already. With at least one more month of dryness to come, these birds would have more time to relax in the island. During the next month the trade winds would stop hitting the Galápagos and the doldrums would come (no wind at all). This would last for at least four months, and then a new breeding cycle will start again.
Nature is a beautiful thing, and it is even better when you are in a place like the Galápagos observing it all the time. For that, we all feel very blessed to be accompanied this week by loving families that are sharing this very special time with us. Merry Christmas to you all!
Española Island is one of the oldest here in Galápagos. It is estimated to be somewhere between three and a half to four and a half millions of years of age. In contrast, the youngest island in the archipelago is only a couple of hundred thousand years.
Espanola island is very well known because of the amount of birds found in its surroundings. Blue footed boobies, Nazca boobies and albatrosses are the main group of bird species that domain this place.
The waved albatross is also called the Galápagos albatross because they happen to be endemic to the archipelago. Some of the last few pairs are still on the island waiting for their last immature feathers to fall off. Then, all of them would be off to the open sea for quite a few months, and in the case of the young albatrosses, it would be no less than four years before they set foot on dry land again.
These birds migrate normally by the end of December, but perhaps this year the weather in the Galápagos might have changed their pattern already. With at least one more month of dryness to come, these birds would have more time to relax in the island. During the next month the trade winds would stop hitting the Galápagos and the doldrums would come (no wind at all). This would last for at least four months, and then a new breeding cycle will start again.
Nature is a beautiful thing, and it is even better when you are in a place like the Galápagos observing it all the time. For that, we all feel very blessed to be accompanied this week by loving families that are sharing this very special time with us. Merry Christmas to you all!
