Ecuador - Galapagos Islands - Española Island


Located at the extreme southeast of the archipelago, Española is one of the oldest of the Galapagos Islands (about 4 million years). The Waved Albatross comes to the island to breed starting in April, so we were there in time to see them, but they hadn’t yet arrived in large numbers and we weren’t able to witness their mating ritual, which apparently involves an elaborate dance and lots of beak clacking. We did see loads of Nazca Boobies (sometimes called Masked Boobies), as well as marine iguanas, gulls, mockingbirds, lava lizards and, of course, sea lions. The latter were mostly evident on the white sandy beach of Gardner Bay on Española’s northeast coast.


Marine Iguana


More Marine Iguanas


Suarez Point on Española Island





Nazca Booby


Baby Nazca Booby (a hungry one)


Marine Iguanas with their own private pool


Marine Iguana swimming



Galapagos Hawks



Friend Susie with the blowhole in the background
(photo by Deborah)



Video of blowhole


Waved Albatross


Abandoned/Defective Albatross Egg


Iguanas dig a hole, lay their eggs, and walk away. 
(If it were that easy for humans maybe I would have become a parent after all.)


Nazca Boobies






The white sand beach at Gardner Bay


Whale bones on the beach


This little guy was looking all over for his mother and only after sniffing the feet of the lady sunbathing did he determine she was not the one.


(photo by Susie)


Your moment of zen: snoozing sea lions.

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