Española Island
What an utterly fantastic finale to a fabulous week’s voyage in the magical Islas Encantadas! Española Island was at its most lovely, and it will be difficult for me to properly express the beauty and joy that we all, staff and guests on the Islander alike, experienced today. I guess all I can really do is briefly outline our activities. But I am sure my words will fall terribly short of the feelings and the awesome moments in nature that we shared today.
To begin with, the morning was glorious: a stiff breeze blew out of the south and the garua clouds vanished by the time we disembarked for snorkeling, kayaking and/or a visit to the brilliantly white beach at Gardner Bay. What can I say? The snorkeling was delightful, the kayaking a blast and Gardner Beach has never been more beautiful, covered as it was with resting and wrestling sea lions, with its shimmering fine white sand lapped by the turquoise waves of the sea. I had to coax the guests back to the ship at noon, some of them wanted me to pick them up there next week! But I knew they would also thoroughly enjoy the walk at Punta Suarez – so I would not let them remain behind.
The afternoon was as superb as the morning. A huge forceful ocean swell rolled into the point of land where we disembarked on a narrow cement dock. Immediately we were enchanted by the residents of this small and relatively barren island of Española. Sea lions nursing small and not-so-small pups, reddish marine iguanas, the endemic and extremely curious mocking birds, boobies of two species and large colorful lava lizards all captured our admiration. The waved albatross struck us with awe - such an imposing, gorgeous bird! And so nonchalant and fearless as we paraded past them, photographing their every pose. There are only a couple albatross chicks this year along the National Park trail. It is such a pleasure for us naturalists to watch them grow, week after week, and be able to truthfully say, “I remember you, when you were an egg!” Galápagos certainly is a very special place, and we know we are privileged to be here.
What an utterly fantastic finale to a fabulous week’s voyage in the magical Islas Encantadas! Española Island was at its most lovely, and it will be difficult for me to properly express the beauty and joy that we all, staff and guests on the Islander alike, experienced today. I guess all I can really do is briefly outline our activities. But I am sure my words will fall terribly short of the feelings and the awesome moments in nature that we shared today.
To begin with, the morning was glorious: a stiff breeze blew out of the south and the garua clouds vanished by the time we disembarked for snorkeling, kayaking and/or a visit to the brilliantly white beach at Gardner Bay. What can I say? The snorkeling was delightful, the kayaking a blast and Gardner Beach has never been more beautiful, covered as it was with resting and wrestling sea lions, with its shimmering fine white sand lapped by the turquoise waves of the sea. I had to coax the guests back to the ship at noon, some of them wanted me to pick them up there next week! But I knew they would also thoroughly enjoy the walk at Punta Suarez – so I would not let them remain behind.
The afternoon was as superb as the morning. A huge forceful ocean swell rolled into the point of land where we disembarked on a narrow cement dock. Immediately we were enchanted by the residents of this small and relatively barren island of Española. Sea lions nursing small and not-so-small pups, reddish marine iguanas, the endemic and extremely curious mocking birds, boobies of two species and large colorful lava lizards all captured our admiration. The waved albatross struck us with awe - such an imposing, gorgeous bird! And so nonchalant and fearless as we paraded past them, photographing their every pose. There are only a couple albatross chicks this year along the National Park trail. It is such a pleasure for us naturalists to watch them grow, week after week, and be able to truthfully say, “I remember you, when you were an egg!” Galápagos certainly is a very special place, and we know we are privileged to be here.
