The Española mockingbird, found only on Española Island and the neighboring islet Gardner, is the largest of the four endemic mockingbird species of the Galápagos Islands. It is well known to follow guests when they arrive on the island. They are also quite reluctant to fly, preferring to hop from branch to branch.
Española Island is the southernmost island of the Galápagos, and geologically the oldest. The land mass of Española is barely 60 km2 but it is home to numerous endemic birds, among others the large cactus finch, the Española mockingbird, the Nazca booby, the swallow-tailed seagull and the waved albatross. In the morning, we landed on the beach of Gardner Bay where we were welcomed by a colony of Galápagos sea lions. Later on, we went snorkeling along the rocky cliff of Gardner Island, exploring the rich marine biodiversity of the site.
After replenishing our energy with a most delicious lunch, we disembarked to Punta Suarez, also located on Española Island, where we hiked the trail of the Galápagos National Park. We were able to observe, among others, waved albatrosses soaring over the blowhole of Española Island, making use of the updraft created by the southeastern trade winds blowing over the cliff of Punta Suarez. Finishing our hike with the most beautiful impressions of Galápagos sea lion babies and marine iguanas, we returned to the National Geographic Endeavour II during a spectacular sunset.