Today we anchored off the northern central coast of Española at Gardner Bay. An early kayaking outing was offered this morning. The conditions were great, overcast, warm, and the sea was calm. It was amazing to observe many young sea lions playing along the coastal area and sea birds, like brown pelicans, feeding. After breakfast our guests were briefed about our snorkeling procedures and were out-fitted. Once ready, we went to explore the underwater world under heavy rain! Nevertheless we enjoyed great snorkeling with large schools of Razor surgeon fish, king angelfish, Panamic sergeant majors and playful Galapagos sea lions!
Some guests opted to go to snorkeling off a beautiful white sandy beach, a great place to learn and practice. At the end of the morning all of us were at the beach, the rain was over and the sun came out, enhancing the great colors of turquoise waters and gorgeous blue sky. It was a wonderful opportunity to take pictures of the Galapagos sea lions in action! After this wonderful morning, we enjoyed a traditional Ecuadorian lunch buffet prepared by our talented galley crew.
In the afternoon we repositioned the ship towards Punta Suarez. This visitors’ site is located in the westernmost point of Española Island, where wildlife is abundant. Galapagos sea lions were welcoming us at the little dock, sharing the place with many Sally light foot crabs. Here colorful red Española marine iguanas were observed throughout the trail, the females were busy digging holes in order to lay eggs. This is a rocky trail, which offers a close view of the Nazca boobies and their chicks. All along the cliffs they are so close one can see every single detail of their white feathers, yellowish beak and yellow eyes. Because they are not scared of us, we can observe them closely like nowhere else. Nature at its best!
On our way back to the National Geographic Islander I see only happy faces. it was worth the effort of walking over the boulders this afternoon because here the animals accept you as part of nature, as another being in their world. What a memorable excursion! And this is just the start of a fantastic trip, the beginning of a remarkable adventure in this pristine paradise.
