Española Island
Early in the morning we woke up anchored at one of the most emblematic islands of the archipelago: Española. The first adventure of the morning was to go deep water snorkeling along Gardner Islet. The exploration of the Galápagos Marine Reserve was a fantastic experience that we enjoyed from beginning to end. Once we climbed into the water, a marvelous underwater realm was on display: reef fish of different kinds were found covering the lava rocks making a marvelous color contrast. Closer to the rocks, baby Galápagos sea lions showed us their acrobatic movements for a delightful experience at Gardner Islet.
Once snorkeling was over, we got everything ready in order to enjoy a pleasant time at the glorious Gardner Bay Beach. The magnificence of the place is that it is ideal to witness the wonders of Galápagos wildlife: curious Hood mockingbirds were running all over the sandy area, hundreds of Galápagos sea lions were found all over the beach as if posing for our cameras, and colorful marine iguanas heating up on top of the lava rocks were the main highlights of a spectacular morning. As soon as we came back on board the National Geographic Islander, we pulled anchor in order to navigate to our next destination.
Living home to thousands of seabirds, Española Island is considered one of the jewels in the crown of the Galápagos Islands, and in the afternoon we experienced part of its marvels by exploring Punta Suarez. As soon as we arrived to the disembarkation area, a lot of Galápagos sea lions were laying down all over the lava rocks making a beautiful pattern for a superb view. Farther into the trail, we had an awe-inspiring moment as hundreds of seabirds were flying all over Española. Once we reached the farthest point of the trail, we enjoyed a charming view of the cliffs with several waved albatrosses flying form one end of the cliffs to the other. On the way back, Nazca boobies and blue-footed boobies made it perfect for a splendid experience at Punta Suarez. The Galápagos Islands experience is something that is going to be part of our memories for a lifetime.
