Galapagos - Day 3

We moved overnight again.  There didn't seem to be as much noise as the previous night but there was a fair bit of sea motion which woke us a couple of times. We were travelling quite a long way south to the island of Española.

Breakfast at 7am as usual and then off by dinghy for a wet landing on a beautifipul beach on Espinola where we saw a colony of sea lions, marine iguanas, lava lizards and Espinola Mocking Birds. It’s all getting rather common place – NOT! Just to see so many of these animals and be able to walk among them freely is amazing.

Jonathan’s “Another day at the office!”

After the walk we went for a swim and were lucky enough to have a group of Eagle Rays swim around us. We have some video taken by Tijs of us in the water with them. I’ll maybe get that loaded here when we get home. 

Pilot whale skeleton                            

 

Eagle Rays in the water - later we got in the water closer to them                          

A very cheeky mocking bird - about a foot away

Back to the boat so that we could move to another area and then a snorkel off the Zodiac. This was a much longer snorkel where we swam rounds cliffs and into a cave, fantastic clear visibility and wonderful sea life including some sea lions which swam around us in the water.  Lunch back on the boat and some chill time before heading to Punta Suarez for a 2 hour hike across the island. That sounds like a long time but it flew by, there was so much to see. We saw sea lions at the beach, marine iguanas, bigger species of lava lizards, Wave Albatrosses on the ground and in the air, Galagapos Doves, Nasca Boobies, Swallowtail gulls, Red billed Tropic birds, Galapagos Hawks, one nesting. The cliff scenery on the other side of the island was also fantastic. Very like the west side of Orkney I must say, although a touch warmer, with a spectacular blow hole as well. Truly an amazing day.

                 

 

                   

A Wave Albatross cooling off - note 3 wing joints

 

Very like west coast Orkney

     

A Nasca Booby and its fluffy offspring

 

Snacks and a beer back at the boat. Juan is such a legend – every time we come back to the boat he has snacks and juices out. And the chefs! How they produce such great food from a tiny kitchen. Anyway a chill then briefing at 6.45pm, dinner at 7pm and another early night