We spent the morning on the small island of South Plaza. We were welcomed by Galapagos sea lions; females and pups were all around the landing place. There are a good number of Galapagos land iguanas on South Plaza, and we observed them underneath the prickly pear cacti along the trail. As we walked by the cliffs, we saw many seabirds flying, such as swallow-tailed gulls, Galapagos shearwaters, brown pelicans, magnificent frigatebirds, and red-billed tropicbirds. It is a challenge for photographers to get pictures of birds in flight; however, with the right settings and patience, it is always possible! The afternoon was spent at the island of Santa Fe. Here we enjoyed kayaking and snorkeling inside the protected bay, a great place for colorful fish and playful Galapagos sea lions. We ended the day with a great hike. We observed huge prickly pear cacti, Santa Fe land iguanas, and hundreds of sea lions on a white sandy beach. It was a fantastic day in paradise!
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.