This morning we landed at the magnificent island of Fernandina, the most western island in the Galapagos. We encountered a wide variety of wildlife while we walked on a Pahoehoe lava field mixed with sandy terrain. We saw hawks, marine iguanas, cormorants, pelicans, lizards, and more! The morning did not end there. The snorkel of the day was fantastic! We swam with countless marine iguanas and turtles; we even saw a penguin and cormorant in the water. What a wonderful morning, packed with learning and wildlife encounters. In the afternoon, we sailed to Vicente Roca and enjoyed a Zodiac ride. We observed the exquisite geology and lots of penguins and blue-footed boobies, along with a large colony of fur seals. Our equator crossing was the most fun part of the day, as crazy pirates arrived on board to greet our guests in celebration of the crossing.
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.