Thursday May 6th, 2010 Espanola Island

Espanola is a flat island, the most eastern in the archipelago and only a caldera of rock. We dry landed and there were the resident sea lions, Sally Lightfoot crabs and marine iguanas.















Here we hiked all over the island ending near the cliffs where we saw Blue Footed Boobies, Nasca boobies and waved albatross. They were all nesting and the babies were full of down and fluff.












One pair of albatross actually laid an egg as I watched! At the top of the cliff, the albatross waddle to the edge and soar away on a 8 foot wing span. it was incredible to see this bird winging away. This is for you Hayley!!








The blowhole was a geological feature that had everyone oohing and aaahing as the glacial blue water rushed through the holes in the volcanic rock.





Later we went snorkeling and a sea lion came over to swim with me. He pushed me in the tummy and then glided around. It was incredible. Sea Lions lie around like forgotten litter nursing, playing and rolling around.

We put the sails up and set sail for San Cristobal. Seas were rough, but fabulous.