Española Island , 11/14/2021, National Geographic Endeavour II
Aboard the
National Geographic Endeavour II
Galápagos
The Galápagos Archipelago consists of approximately 13 larger islands, with the youngest located in the west and the oldest toward the east. Those eastern islands show a higher rate of endemism, as creatures have a longer span of time to evolve into new forms, which can only be found here. Today we visited Española, the easternmost of the Enchanted Isles, which is also the home to the only tropical albatross in the world: the waved albatross. With its amazing wildlife and stunning landscapes, there is no better way to start our expedition in the Galápagos!
Gaby was born and raised in Guayaquil, Ecuador. Her first job in the Galapagos was on board a 90-passenger cruise ship as the cruise director’s assistant, and she fell under the spell of the Enchanted Isles. She returned to Guayaquil to study at the ...
Today, we explored two islands. In the morning, we hiked along the trail of South Plaza. In the afternoon, we visited Santa Fe Island. At South Plaza, we observed several Galapagos land iguanas, swallow-tailed gulls with their young, and Galapagos sea lions. We admired the beauty around us. We returned aboard and swam from the ship. Later, we navigated toward Santa Fe Island. We had our first opportunity to snorkel from the Zodiacs in a protected bay. We encountered different species of fish and spotted some green sea turtles in the bay. Late in the afternoon, we returned to Santa Fe for a hike along the volcanic terrain to look for Santa Fe land iguanas or to relax with a short walk on a sandy beach that is home to a large colony of Galapagos sea lions.
This was our first full day of expedition, and we started with a beautiful island in the center of the archipelago. North Seymour is a small, flat island where big colonies of blue-footed boobies and frigatebirds can be found nesting. Mating season has already started. Male frigatebirds displayed inflated red gular pouches, and the blue feet of the boobies were visible in the air. Along the trail, we found the famous Galapagos land iguanas. These reptiles are adapted to eating opuntia cactus, and we spotted one of them taking bites. In the afternoon, we visited a beautiful red sand Island. We practiced our first snorkel and enjoyed observing an abundance of colorful fish and feeding marine iguanas. Later in the afternoon, we took a relaxing stroll along the beautiful beach with the last rays of sun making the red sand shine. Flamingos spotted in a lagoon were the golden finale of this amazing day.
Today we had the pleasure of visiting Genovesa Island, a bird paradise in northern Galápagos. In the morning, we landed at Prince Philip’s Steps, where the trail led us through a dry forest filled with Nazca boobies and red-footed boobies nesting in the branches. One of the highlights of the morning was spotting several short-eared owls camouflaged among the lava rocks—an exciting and rare sight that amazed us all. Galapagos storm petrels, swallow-tailed gulls and Galápagos doves also accompanied us along the path, making this a fantastic birdwatching experience. In the afternoon, we visited Darwin Bay, where the calm waters and white coral sand created the perfect setting for a relaxing and scenic walk. The contrast between the turquoise sea and the vibrant wildlife was breathtaking. We enjoyed watching frigatebirds flying overhead, their red throat pouches fully inflated, while playful sea lions rested near the shore. Some guests took a refreshing swim and had the chance to observe marine life close to the beach. Genovesa offered us an unforgettable day, filled with unique wildlife encounters and stunning landscapes. This remote island continues to be one of the most magical destinations in the archipelago.
