Galapagos Winter Term 2012
January 10th: Española Island
Espanola Island. Albatrosses, Sea Lions, Beaches, and Rocky Cliffs. I had a brief idea of what to expect before I arrived today but seeing the island in real life was awesome. Our day began with breakfast at 7:30 a.m. Wacho was nice to us today and we didn’t have to get up at 5:30. After a breakfast in a small dining room (which I am now used to) we board the dingys and head ashore to walk around Gardner Beach. Wow. This was quite possibly one of the most picturesque beaches I have ever visited in my life. Crystal clear blue water with soft white sand. I think that I may have found paradise. Just give me a cerveza and a beach chair and I will be good to go for a looooooong while (well, as long as I have enough sunscreen!)
We walked on our own up and down the beach. Taking an excessive amount of pictures of sea lions. They are just so awesome. I swear that I am going to take one home with me. The sea lions weren’t the only animal on the beach. There were plenty of iguanas, especially on the rocks as well as the crabs too. We walked to the end of the sand and started to hike over some rocks. Just when we were about to turn back we spotted a Galapagos Hawk! We were really surprised that it was so close to us and got some good pictures. I was jealous that Kristina had her zoom lens because my camera did not get as close up as hers.
After our time on the beach we came back to the Guantanamera to change into wetsuits to go snorkeling. This snorkeling was one of the best snorkels of the whole trip. I really wish that I would have invested in an underwater digital camera because I was blown away by all the fish and other animals in the water. It was quite possibly more exciting than the animals on the land–but not the sea lions. This time we saw a few reef sharks...and I made sure to keep far away.
Lunchtime and Siesta. After snorkeling these were two things we all needed. Some time to kick back, lay out in the sun and relax while we travel to Suarez Point. At around 4 in the afternoon we board the dingys and head ashore with hopes of seeing the albatrosses. We arrive on a small beach which is covered with marine iguanas and sea lions. I could go on and on and on and on about the sea lions but I will skip to the more interesting part–the birds.
After about 5 minutes onto the trail we reach the rocky Suarez point. There were so many birds! Tons of Nazca Boobies, with a handful of blue foots. The hike was one of my favorites. The fact that the trail was rugged and not a smooth path was nice–gives a real feel of how remote these islands are. About 45 minutes into the hike I started to get anxious and concerned that we would not see any albatrosses, this fear was quelled quickly.
We turned a corner and off in the distance was a mature albatross which looked like it was trying to take flight. This is what we had been waiting for. WE waited far away and for what seemed like an excessive amount of time waited and encouraged the big bird to take fight. Right when we were about to give up, the albatross spreads its wings, catches the wind and takes off. I managed to get a video of this event and I will definitely show it off to everyone back home.
The last part of the hike was the best part. We stumble upon not one, not two, but about 6 albatrosses in their nesting area. Now we know that they aren’t mating anymore but we are still excited. Washington did his albatross call, a very elaborate call that any other person would find….a bit odd. Jack also decided to test it out too, this call became a joke throughout the whole trip. Right away the birds heard it and started to find their mates and do their mating dance. Wow! This is such an elaborate dance and we were all memorized for a solid 45 minutes. It was so amazing, really you had to be there to truly appreciate it. I managed to get several videos as well as a ton of pictures. After everyone had near filled their memory cards with albatross pictures we finished the hike, went back to the Guantanamera, and had a delicious dinner. What a Day. My expectations were FAR exceeded. I don’t want this trip to end!
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