We began this day dedicated to fathers in one of the most beautiful places on earth, Gardner Bay. Looking out at the turquoise waters that surrounded our floating home, we were excited to explore the undersea realm. Playful sea lions swam quickly and gracefully among the schools of surgeonfish, appearing to accept us as their curious playmates. We eventually landed on a blindingly white coralline beach, where we found hundreds of resting sea lions and Española mockingbirds searching for their daily sustenance, some of them even landing on us. The afternoon brought us even closer to the wildlife as we navigated between marine iguanas warming themselves on the volcanic rocks. Darwin finches flitted about as we continued our walk, encountering endemic lava lizards and a racer snake sunning upon the path. Arriving to the southern cliffs of Española we were surrounded by a large colony of waved albatross. It was incredible to think that this species is endemic not only to Galapagos, but to this specific island. As we returned to our ship, bright sun poked through the darkening clouds and a few Galapagos hawks watched as we leave this incredible place.
- Daily Expedition Reports
- 18 Jun 2017
Española Island, 6/18/2017, National Geographic Endeavour II
- Aboard the National Geographic Endeavour II
- Galápagos
Jason Heilmann, Undersea Specialist
Growing up in northern California, Jason was surrounded by the incomparable nature of the Pacific Northwest. While attending university there, Jason met and eventually married an Ecuadorian woman who happened to be from a small group of islands off t...
Read MoreShare Report
Exploring Galápagos: One Week Sailing the Islands
VIEW ITINERARYRelated Reports
9/16/2024
Read
National Geographic Endeavour II
Floreana Island
This is an incredible island with its natural history and a deeply seated human history. Floreana was the choice for many visitors due to its fresh water source and giant tortoises that were used as a food source from the 18th century on. We visited Cormorant Point early in the morning and witnessed Galapagos sea lions playing on the beach and American flamingos in a brackish pond actively feeding. These are two beaches with a drastic contrast of volcanic sand with olivine crystals and an organic white coralline beach. Blue-footed boobies were feeding along the coast and tending to their active nests. Mid-morning allows a snorkel along a satellite island, Champion Islet. Young Galapagos sea lions play with all, and as we finish our dip, a humpback whale with her young calve passes close to our Zodiacs with a breach that leaves us in awe. The afternoon brings us to Post Office Bay and the oldest postal system in the Americas as we all sort through the mail and leave correspondences to be delivered through this honor system. Kayakers explored the coast as the sun peaked through this season’s low-lying clouds.
9/15/2024
Read
National Geographic Endeavour II
Española Island
We had an amazing first full day of exploration on the islands. During the morning, we explored the fantastic underwater world of the Galapagos, and it was amazing. We spent the afternoon on the lookout for the stunning waved albatross. We observed so much unique wildlife as we hiked this impressive island. Today was just the start of our extraordinary adventure in the Galapagos Islands!