Ecuador Trip: Day 18
Galapagos Cruise: Day 13
Ah, thirteen, my favorite number. No wonder Day 13 of our Galapagos cruise was one of my favorite ever. We spent Day 13 at Española Island, otherwise known as Hood Island. Española is a photographer’s paradise. I think it was my favorite island during Week 2. Genovesa Island captured that title for Week 1, and both islands feature tons and tons of birds. But the cool thing about Española is that if you visit at the right time of year (April and May are excellent), you’ll see literally hundreds of these marine birds, because they come back to Española every year to mate. That’s one of the reasons I chose our Galapagos cruise for mid- to late-April. I did not want to miss this once-in-a-lifetime experience of seeing the Waved Albatross. We encountered the Waved Albatross in the afternoon. In the morning, we visited Gardner Bay, which is home to more sea lions than you can shake a stick at. We basically walked along the beach and took millions of pictures:
Following our walk along the beach, we returned to the Cormorant for a light lunch. Then we had one of the most amazing snorkeling adventures that occurred during our entire two weeks. By now we were used to seeing amazing fish and swimming after sea turtles, and also frolicking with sea lions. However, snorkeling at Española was a delight, because there was this cool cave where the young sea lions hung out. Harry called them his “kids” and his “pets,” depending on his mood. He was amazing playing with the sea lions and allowing us to interact with them without touching them or getting in their way. It was almost like the little sea lions thought we were just really big fishes, or maybe a weird variety of sea lion. There was a cave that Harry took us to, and the tide would flush you in and out of the cave if you just let go of your fear and allowed the ocean to carry you. My BIL and my DH took good care of me in the cave, because I was a little afraid of bonking my head against the interior rock walls on the in-flush. Then I heard Harry shout, “Don’t be afraid. Let the water carry you.” And once I did that, wow, what fun. I just hung there in the water, letting the tide flow me in and out of the cave with the others, and it was such an incredible joy to find myself and others in our group floating in and out with the sea lions, watching them below the water while they watched us right back. It’s really an experience that is hard to describe. But I could have spent two hours floating back and forth in that cave. Alas, there were other guides with other groups who wanted their turns, the greedy sorts. Eventually, we gave up the cave to the next group, finished our snorkeling for the day, then returned to the Cormorant to make our way to Suarez Point, also on Española Island.
Suarez Point is a nesting ground for the Waved Albatross, but you can also find several varieties of bird life there, including the Nazca Boobies and the Blue-Footed Boobies. For an island abundant with life, it feels incredibly peaceful. We really enjoyed just soaking in the sights and sounds of nature, and, once again, it felt like our guide had introduced us to something really special—which he had! I could return to Española Island again and again and not feel bored, I’m sure. Let me show you…
Here’s a close-up:
One of the super cool things about Suarez Point is the famous blow-hole. As the tide swept in, water would shoot out of the hole, like a great rock whale:
You know I gotta show you some Blue-Footed Boobies! They were plentiful on Suarez Point.
Now for the Waved Albatrosses! There were literally fields of these nesting guys and gals:
They would waddle around in the fields, and it was so funny, almost like they were trying to sneak up on each other. When they weren’t waddling, they were flying:
Here’s a “couple” discussing what they’re going to name their children. Their beaks made a clacking sound as the conversation progressed:
As it so happens, I do have a photo of a nesting Waved Albatross showing us an egg. My husband took this picture with his Blackberry. He was very patient, waiting until the bird figured, hey, it was just him and this weirdo in a Panama Hat, so why not show him who’s got the goods?
By this point in our travels, with only two days remaining in our cruise, I thought there was nothing else Harry could show us new under the sun. We were on our way to Floreana Island, where you can find the famous Post Office Bay. I thought the Barrel Post Office was all Floreana would show us. Boy, was I wrong. In the Galapagos, it’s one surprise and one amazing discovery or experience after another.
Don’t you want to book a cruise now?
