Today, we lived a dream!!! For our guests Española Island was a dream come true. Kayaking, hiking and snorkeling were the choices we offered to our guest to enjoy the wonders of one of the oldest islands in the Galapagos archipelago. Española is located in the extreme southeast of the archipelago and it is about five million years old. Two spots are especially popular within visitors, Gardner Bay, which has a lovely white sand beach and Punta Suarez, which is famous for its varied bird-life.
Our day started early when many joined us for kayaking along the peaceful coastline of Gardner Bay. We observed several species of shore bird such as lava herons, gulls, and brown pelicans, among others. After an unforgettable kayaking experience we came back to the National Geographic Islander for a well-deserved breakfast. After a couple of hours we suited up for snorkeling while others opted to go to the beach. The underwater realm offers a great variety of tropical fish. King angelfish, wrasses, parrotfish, barracudas, and even immature sea lions surrounded us while we delighted in this magical moment. The morning visit ended on a pristine white sand beach where sea birds were fishing along the shoreline and several marine iguanas were basking in the equatorial sunshine.
In the afternoon we went to the unique world of Punta Suarez, one of my favorite places. Iguanas bask on the rocky shorelines like carved prehistoric dragons while sea lions where playing on the soft sand that make up the restricted small beaches present in the disembarking area of Punta Suarez. Our walk took over two hours over a rocky terrain. Punta Suarez is one of the richest wildlife locations in Galapagos Islands and the unique experience that we all had this afternoon will remain in our memories for the rest of our lives. After walking for several minutes through a dense vegetation mainly of yellow Cordia, we found blue-footed and Nazca boobies and few of the endemic species in Espanola Island. The court-ship of the waved albatross made our day! They are incredible creatures that have developed one of the most elaborate rituals to “fall in love.”
Along of the breezy cliff edge we spotted swallow-tailed gulls and many other seabirds soaring on the wind. In addition, Galapagos hawks, which are the top predator in the Galapagos, were seen in the area. Later, due to the right tide and swells, we enjoyed powerful blowhole blasts while the sun was setting on the horizon. We took a few minutes of silence to sit at the edge of a magical cliff and it was enough to understand the simplicity of life and how important it is to preserve places like Galapagos. Here the songs of Mother Nature through birds and breaking waves delighted us. On our way back to the ship we enjoyed a spectacular sunset. As soon as the sun disappeared the sky turned orange and red, the first stars on the firmament appeared, the night came, and with it our day of memorable moments ended.
