The Galápagos Archipelago consists of approximately 13 larger islands, with the youngest located in the west and the oldest toward the east. Those eastern islands show a higher rate of endemism, as creatures have a longer span of time to evolve into new forms, which can only be found here. Today we visited Española, the easternmost of the Enchanted Isles, which is also the home to the only tropical albatross in the world: the waved albatross. With its amazing wildlife and stunning landscapes, there is no better way to start our expedition in the Galápagos!
4/28/2024
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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.