Española Island, on the southeastern end of the archipelago is an old shield volcano that is slowly but surely losing the battle against the elements after drifting over 200 kilometers from its birthplace. Moving above of the Nazca Plate, it has drifted so far from its birthplace that it is effectively losing the life force that fuels most volcanic activity in this group of islands. Despite being presently only a fraction of its original size, it is still home to vast numbers of seabirds, as well as an endemic species of mockingbird and lava lizard. During the morning hours, we explored the northeastern end of the island at Gardner Bay and nearby Gardner Islet as well as the western end at Suarez Point during the afternoon.
4/3/2023
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National Geographic Islander II
Española Island
Today we arrived at Española Island. Located in the southeastern realm of the Galapagos, Española is the oldest island in the archipelago. We started very early in the morning with an amazing pre-breakfast kayak outing along one of the island’s cliffsides. We saw many seabirds nesting and resting on the rocks along the coast. After breakfast, some of our guests disembarked on a big coralline beach named Gardner Bay. We had the opportunity to walk among a breeding colony of dozens of sea lions. At the same time, deep-water snorkelers enjoyed the deep blue with its amazing marine wildlife at Gardner Islet. Later, some of our guests went for a remarkable second kayak outing. To end the morning, everybody enjoyed the stunningly soft white sand and the turquoise waters. Guests had a pleasurable time walking along with a group of very curious Hood mockingbirds. After a delicious lunch back on board, we enjoyed a presentation about Charles Darwin from naturalist Ramiro. In the afternoon, we headed to Punta Suarez. We found a group of jumping dolphins that blew our minds. Later, we observed marine iguanas on old lava boulders where they gather in large groups for warmth. We also spotted blue-footed boobies, Nazca booby nesting grounds, a Galapagos hawk, and various other birds. Every day in the Galapagos is an opportunity to rediscover the beauty of nature through unbelievable encounters. While visiting the oldest island of the Galapagos, today was no exception.