We spent the whole day at Santiago Island. An early walk was offered at Espumilla Beach. It was a delight to find the top predator of the archipelago, the Galapagos hawk, feeding on Pacific green sea turtle hatchlings. We enjoyed the water activities at Buccaneer’s Cove. We saw huge schools of sardines and salemas as well as many colorful fish. Whitetip reef sharks swam underneath us as blue-footed boobies dove next to us. Kayaking in this place was spectacular with smooth waters and a breathtaking landscape. In the afternoon, we visited Puerto Egas. We took a hike along the coastal area, the only place where we can see Galapagos fur seals on land. All the animals were so close, and the feeling was overwhelming. The “Enchanted Islands” are a dream come true!
4/28/2024
Read
National Geographic Endeavour II
Española Island
Española Island is considered the oldest of the Galapagos Islands. This island is home to diverse and abundant species, even if from afar it looks like a deserted island. Mockingbirds, endemic to this islands, lava lizards, and large colonies of sea lions are a few of the species that we observed today. Our morning took us to one of the most wonderful and pristine white sandy beaches in the world, Gardner Bay. Here we could try out our snorkeling gear and practice some snorkeling among curious baby sea lions that swam by. We couldn’t miss the opportunity to take our guests on a boat ride to observe the breathtaking coastline of Española. Its dramatic cliffs make the perfect runway for waved albatrosses to take off, as they are a very heavy bird. This species of albatross only nest on this tiny island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, and our guests were lucky to observe the first albatrosses of the season, as April is the month in which they return to breed.