Exploring Espanola

5.25.18 Punta Suarez and Gardner Bay

 Our next island for exploration is Espanola (Hood Island), with a dry landing in the morning at Punta Suarez. We continue to add to our endemic animal sightings with the red and green Christmas iguanas; Nazca and blue-footed boobies; more hilarious sea lions; interesting vegetation; oyster catchers; waved albatross; an impressive blowhole; baby albatross; snakes and Darwin finches.

 The Christmas iguanas...




Snuggling together...



Small heron.


Hilarious sea lions video clips and photos...




 https://youtu.be/bNVZ330vlv8

 https://youtu.be/t45VDJ3r5KQ

Lava lizard.



More Nazca and blue-footed boobies + a video clip of the male mating dance...





https://youtu.be/1H3PxLhXqQc
Albatrosses...

Mom sitting on her eggs.






Mixed groups of boobies, gulls, waved albatrosses, oyster catchers, rock penguin, hawk and finches...


















 The blowhole...

 https://youtu.be/ErLuX99zfFI

 https://youtu.be/K1lmZG8OmrU


After lunch we had a wet landing at Gardner Bay, where we once again enjoyed the hood mockingbird, sea lions and yellow warblers. So exciting to snorkel with the sea lions!

Later, during our bridge tour we enjoyed a whale sighting and dolphins zigzagging back and forth across our bow.

 After dinner, we departed for San Cristobal (Chatham).

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