Española Island
Española Island is a clear example of how marvelous the living paradise of the Galápagos Islands can be. The first adventure of the day was to enjoy the magical underwater world of Gardner Islet. As soon as we climbed into the water, the majesty of the colors that were found on the rocks made us feel like we were swimming inside a natural aquarium. In the middle of our snorkeling outing, a playful Galápagos sea lion started swimming around us as if asking for a play toy. Before we climbed out of the water, a big spiny lobster came out of a crevice making the perfect contrast with the colorful fish that were around the place.
After an ideal snorkeling outing, it was time to visit one of the most fantastic beaches of the entire archipelago: Gardner Bay Beach. The beauty of this place impressed us as we arrived. Very curious Hood mockingbirds came to us as if welcoming our arrival, a Galápagos Hawk looked grandiose perched on a bush, and the main attraction of the place was the hundreds of sea lions resting along the sandy area. Some sea lions were sleeping and other few were nursing their young pups. As the activity was over, it was time to return to National Geographic Islander for a pleasant Ecuadorian buffet lunch.
In the afternoon the adventure only improved. After a short navigation, we anchored at one of the most magical places of the islands: Punta Suarez. At the beginning of the trail a lot of very colorful marine iguanas were sleeping on the lava rocks making a perfect natural color combination. Farther inland, Nazca boobies were nesting all over the cliff area, and as we reached the other side of the cliffs, we got to enjoy one of the most spectacular volcanic structures of the Galápagos: the blow hole. During the way back the calling of the birds was the perfect symphony for a fascinating adventure inside this natural world. Today we had a voyage that will live deep inside our memories.
