The beautiful crystal clear water of Gardner Bay at Española is the first thing we see in the morning. Pre-breakfast kayaking is our first activity of the day. The geology and wildlife we spotted were very impressive.
After breakfast we got ready for snorkeling, and so did the sea lions! They welcomed us as if they were in an amusement park. Acrobats in the water, these creatures play stunts, swim circles around us, and never want to stop. A turtle eats algae, fish swim around their home rocks, but the sea lions put on the endless show for us to enjoy.
Strolling along the beach is a wonderful way to admire its beauty: incredibly white sand with some sea lions lounging, mockingbirds flying around as if wanting some attention. Wonderful morning at a wonderful place.
The afternoon at Punta Suarez is another story, one with abundant wildlife! Right as we landed, we encountered territorial male sea lions barking out loud like they own the place! Marine iguanas gathered for warmth in large groups as mother sea lions nursed their pups. Blue footed boobies were nesting and raising their chicks. Nazca boobies hung out before and after their feeding trips. Swallow tailed gulls waited for the night to go fishing…this and much more was here to been seen.
The only and most important nesting site for the majestic waved albatross is here. In fact, they are here now, incubating the egg or raising their young. Some of them were even celebrating the reunion with a special love ritual.
This and more can only be found here at Espanola, the oldest island with the most endemic wildlife. The island of fantasy. The best.
