Today we had one of the best mornings on Española. The island was filled with wildlife from the jetty where we disembarked until the very end. Greeting us were sea lions with their pups, marine iguanas, mocking birds, boobies and lava lizards.
Española Island is the oldest of the Galápagos Islands, and is situated in the most southeastern point of the archipelago. From May to December the tradewinds blow out of the southeast, meaning that Española is the first to receive cold, nutrient-rich water from the Humbolt current during this part of the year. The island is isolated from the other, more centrally located islands and due to the direction of the prevailing winds and currents, organisms may find their way off of Espanola, yet cannot return. In a like manner, organisms from other islands in the group are also unlikely to make it down to Espanola (against winds and currents) and mix genetically with the endemic populations there. Being in the southeastern corner, it also means the island receives very little rain due to its distance from the warmer, moister Panama current, responsible through higher evaporation rates for the presence of rain. These factors: time, isolation, and environment, are very important if not necessary for evolution to occur. Being about 60 square kilometres and 284 metres in height, Española holds a considerable number of endemic species. With such important characteristics, it is more than just a thrill to be able to give visitors this introduction to these islands. Our guests feel they are in a paradise for wildlife here on Española Island, and this is simply because it is, truly, "un paraiso."
