Day Five ... Isla Espanola

Ian here ... An early start yesterday, a full afternoon of physical activities, and a night of sideways rocking and motor engines, we both woke this morning a little weary. And as I write this (Ian here ... Jacqui is cactus), just back from a 2.5 hr hike in mid 20s with high humidity we are completely spent. But WOW ... what a morning!

6.30 breakfast of fruit, cereal, cold meat, waffles, bacon and eggs to order. We have quickly settled in to life on the boat and being pampered by the crew. Then gather at 7.30 for a short panga ride to a dry landing on Espanola Island at Punta (Point) Suarez for our hike. [Jacqui here ... dry landing means the panga pulls up hard to the island at a set of concrete stairs so that you do not get your feet wet.]

So it was hot, humid, we sweated litres of fluids and our clothes are dripping. But the concentration of sea lions, reptiles and bird species is extraordinary. Every step on the rocky path was "look down" to avoid stepping on marine iguanas, Christmas iguanas, lava lizards and Galapagos snakes. The marine iguana count this morning would be in the 300-400 range. At one point I counted 30 in the shade of a single bush.

Then there are the birds. Galapagos Hawk, top of the food chain. Waved Albatross with yellow beak and 7 foot wingspan, just arrived from Peru (literally in the last few days) for the mating/nesting season. A huge colony of Nazca Boobies. Darwin finches, the blue eyed Lava Heron,  Galapagos Doves, frigate birds, etc. Amazing! Whatever you have heard about the Galapagos, it's better in real life.






Some of the trail we hiked today ... 3.3 km of gruelling rocky terrain with no shade.







Marine Iguanas








Christmas Iguanas 



Note ... my shoe in the above photo. That is how close you get to the animals

Lava lizards



Sea lions




Galapagos Albatross 





Nazca Boobies





Caterpillars and snakes!



Lava Heron


Other birds




And for all the science nerds out there I have distilled Darwinism for you. The evolutionary process is simply ... males trying to attract females.

J here ... we also came upon a natural blow hole where sea water being pushed into the rocks bursts out of a hole. The misty water from the blow was a welcome relief for weary bodies. I became a puddle of tears when I spied the rainbow caused by the mist ... having seen butterflies on our hike this morning and on the third anniversary of losing my dad ... I definitely knew that mum and dad were with me today.




Eventually, wearily, we made it back to the landing and the panga. [Jacqui here ... getting back into the panga was pretty funny ... after a 2 hr hike over rocky terrain in the heat the legs were a little wobbly. Suffice to say we all pretty much lay on the front of the panga and just rolled into it! Not elegant, but it was effective]. Back at the Galaxy for a cool iced tea, some morning snacks, permission from the captain for 20 minutes swimming off the baci of the yacht, and a LONG icy cold shower. Bliss.







11am Bridge Tour. Captain Gime showed us his office, full of dials, gauges, electronics and manual back ups. We are in very good hands. Captain told us the most important piece of equipment on the bridge is the coffee machine!








The captains cabin!

J here ... The a chance for a bit of a rest before enjoying a delicious lunch of local specialities. We began with a fish soup which apparently was delicious; I had an incredible chicken and potato soup made just for me. Paola our chef (the only female crew member on board) then explained each dish in the buffet to us ... a local fish in a saffron cream sauce, chicken with a tomato and coconut sauce, yellow rice, grilled plantain (yum!) and some side salads. We ended our lunch with avocado ice cream which was very nice.





After lunch everyone took the opportunity to relax ... with many heading off to their cabins for a bit of a snooze. Then it was time for deep sea snorkelling which I opted out of today. My panic levels from shallow water snorkelling were enough to tell me that I am not cut out for snorkelling.  The sensation of not being able to breathe (yes I know that's what the snorkel is for) makes me breathe faster and then I try to breath through my mouth ... and then come up spluttering and gasping.

Afternoon activities from 2pm ... Deep water snorkelling (Jacqui passed, Ian saw 3 sharks, 2 stingrays and countless brightly coloured fish, before raising the hand for the panga) ... Kayaking along the coast of the island (several km of surging swells, rugged cliffs, Galapagos hawks, etc.) ... Wet landing on Gardner Beach, ranked in the top 50 most beautiful beaches in the world (walking, paddling, conversing with sea lions, reflecting on our idyllic location).




From the side of the boat  ... I didn't need to snorkel!



Kayaking 













Gardner Beach



















We have walked, snorkelled and swum with exotic creatures ... within 1-2 metre of sea lions, rays, iguanas and albatrosses.

What a day! And to end it all ... a lovely meal and a chance to chat with our fellow cruisers. For dinner we ate ... cream of broccoli soup, steak with couscous, mixed vegetables and a red wine sauce and we finished with an apple strudel. 





Comments

  1. AnonymousApril 14, 2026 at 2:00 AM

    Jacqui....not sure if you have tried the full face snorkel but it might help with the panics....even though I am a scuba diver, I still prefer the full face snorkel mask for snorkelling as I don't love the mouthpiece thingy. Just an idea, I absolutely love the below sea views, to me it is like being on another planet!!! -Mary

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