We enjoyed a full day of activities on Espanola, the oldest island in the Galapagos archipelago and thus teeming with wildlife. We began with an early-morning kayak along the coast of Gardner Bay. After breakfast, we spent time at Gardner Beach, where Galapagos sea lions rested after hunting for hours. Deepwater snorkeling on the leeward side of Gardner Islet was a hit, as playful sea lions came to play with our guests and big schools of fish were seen. Our afternoon was crowned with a hike at Punta Suarez, where observed the courtship behavior of waved albatrosses, who are back on Espanola after an absence of four months!
- Daily Expedition Reports
- 01 May 2023
Espanola Island, 5/1/2023, National Geographic Islander II
- Aboard the National Geographic Islander II
- Galápagos
Vanessa Gallo, Naturalist
Vanessa Gallo’s grandparents arrived in the Galápagos Islands in 1936, making her the third generation of her family to live and work in this magical archipelago. She left the islands for the capital city of Quito for high school, where she discovere...
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Wild Galápagos Escape (8-Day)
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Española Island
Today, we visited Española Islan; what a wonderful place on earth! We set foot on the gorgeous white sand of Gardner Beach with turquoise waters and enjoyed the company of Galapagos sea lions and curious Española mockingbirds! Kayaks were deployed together with our glass-bottom Zodiac to get closer to the underwater world of this unique Archipelago. The afternoon took us to Punta Suarez, a highlight of our expedition. We got to see baby Galapagos sea lions, colorful marine iguanas, blue-footed and Nazca boobies, the waved albatross, swallow-tailed gulls, Galapagos hawks, Darwin finches, Galapagos doves. All the animals shared their home with us, a gift from nature and a feeling that will last a lifetime!
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Floreana Island
Today we explored the mysterious and noble island of Floreana, the historic capital of the Galapagos Island province and home to the first settlers. This island has been eroding for over a million years. It is home to Post Office Bay, location of the oldest postal system in South America. We visited the famous barrel to send “stamp-less” postcards. Some guests took the opportunity to paddle around the area in kayaks, and we concluded the morning with an awesome snorkel. To finish our day, we visited Cormorant Point, a visitor’s site with a flamingo population.