Landing on Isla Espanola, we were greeted by a group of young sea lions in the shallows of the harbour, guarded by a male on the outer perimeter. Other groups of sea lions were spread along the beach and some seem to enjoy pretending to be a shark by putting their fins in the air. The marine iguanas are coloured red and green and more than other islands seem to seek each other out to share each other’s warmth in the morning light.
Isla Espanola is regarded as one of the more dramatic islands due to the cliffs on the southern end and due to relative isolation, the animals have different characteristics to those on other islands. We managed to spot a brown ground finch and Hood mockingbird are found nowhere else in the world.
Despite being late in the season there were a few groups of waved albatross which were nesting on the cliff tops, including a mum and an infant who were looking at us very intently while we were walking around. We were also lucky to see the Nazca boobies – mothers and chicks and a magnificient Galapagos hawk flying overhead.
In the afternoon, we returned to Bahia Gardner; a picture postcard Galapagos beach of beautiful crystal clear waters, complete with sea lions basking in the sand. Although the sand was white and largely clear of shells and other debris; the large volcanic rocks halfway along the beach represented the limits of our access. Some of our group unknowingly wandered into the wrong area, leading to the zodiac being called from the main boat offshore to bring them in and the inclusion of the incident into the guide’s report.
The afternoon snorkelling was off Isla Espanola, where we experienced a large male sea lion chase and take a cheeky nip on the arm of our group. Watching a sea lion playing underwater was a truly special moment, the way they are able to spin around near the bottom of the sea and quickly rise and turnaround was a moment that I will not forget easily. We were also lucky to three sea turtles which were elegant as they swam close to the seaweed near the bottom of the sea. Swimming close to the cliffs and a number of caves also changed the types of fish and creatures that we saw.
One of the amazing things about sailing on the Galapagos is how the wildlife seem to follow the boat, whether it is sea turtle, a sea lion or a group of frigate birds they love to take advantage of the free ride of a current or food.
Travel date: 28 December 2018
Reflections 