Today we explored Española Island. We spent the morning kayaking and snorkeling at Gardner Bay, while in the afternoon we went for a walk and a Zodiac ride at Punta Suarez. We observed many of the iconic animals of the Galapagos, some of them endemic to Española Island. This island is definitely one of the jewels of the Galapagos.
- Daily Expedition Reports
- 18 Aug 2024
Española Island, 8/18/2024, National Geographic Endeavour II
- Aboard the National Geographic Endeavour II
- Galápagos
Javier Carrion, Naturalist
Javier grew up on Santa Cruz island where his grandparents first arrived in the 1940´s. Veritable pioneers, his grandparents settled in the highlands where they found a place to raise their children.
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We began our day with a very active snorkeling excursion, where some of our snorkelers saw several whitetip reef sharks, a few sea lions, and fish of all kinds. We also kayaked and went paddleboarding. The geological formations are impressive here, such as the world-famous praying monk that captured our attention while on a Zodiac ride. If that wasn’t enough, we had a few rounds of glass bottom boat rides, a fabulous tool that allows us to have a clear view of the fish, and especially those sharks. Soon after lunch, we had an adventurous wet landing on Puerto Egas, with its black sandy beach that we had all to ourselves. We walked along the shore and intertidal pools of Santiago with sightings of marine iguanas, sea lions, shore birds, and Galapagos fur seals. After cocktail hour and a fun recap, we enjoyed a barbeque dinner on the top deck.
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