Española Island
The color of the water around us this morning was azure. The white sand bottom lit up the sea, and dark patches of rock added interest, sparking the imagination about what might lie down beneath us.
Some adventurous souls decided to try the pre-breakfast kayaking outing and were gone a long time – so much was there to absorb along the coast; the air, the smells, the sounds.
The morning was very water-oriented; briefing, equipment, out-the-door, into the water. Eagle rays, surgeonfish, damselfish, grunts, parrotfish, blennies, even barnacles were feeding! Beginners gave it their best shot from the beach, and after a couple of hours are now ready for the Big Outing tomorrow. Gardner Bay: white sand, brown sea lions, red bills of American Oystercatchers, blue water, black rocks, green saltbushes.
Right at the beginning of lunch came the excited announcement from the bridge that Orcas had been sighted off the bow. Ceviche abandoned (you knew it was serious at that point), we poured out onto the bow and for the next half-an-hour followed the whales as they made their way around Gardner Island. There appeared to be a dominant female, a sub-adult male, and several juveniles in the pod. Hopefully our photos will be good enough for identification in the future. We knew they were looking for something, and sure enough, a flock of frigatebirds were the first indication something had been caught for lunch. We never could figure out what animal had been eaten, but afterwards the Orcas came close enough to the ship for some good identification photos.
The afternoon had us visiting Punta Suarez, the westernmost point of the island where seabirds gather. The winds are deflected off the steep cliffs providing the up-drafts so desired by many. Nazca boobies, magnificent frigatebirds, Galápagos hawks, swallow-tailed gulls and red-billed tropicbirds soared the coastline. Española mockingbirds carried out “flick fights” for territory; Española lava lizards arched backs and looked sideways at each other, impressing with size, ready to lash out with a tail. One huge female sea lion nursed an outrageously large offspring.
So much to see, so much to understand, so much to admire, and it is only our first full day.
