Tales from the Trail (and Places I've Been): The Galapagos, continued: Española

Today we visit Española, also called Hood Island (after Samuel Hood a Royal Navy Officer of the late 18^th- early 19^th century). Española is about three and a half million years old, the oldest in the Galapagos chain . The island is roughly a hundred times older than Fernandina, the youngest and most active. Española is fairly flat with no visible volcanic craters and no active volcanoes.

Island life has considerable diversity. Much of this has to do with the Humboldt Current. Here we are near the equator, and yet when we’ve gone snorkeling, many of us have worn wet suits to stay comfortable in the cool waters.

Cool waters?

The waters of the Humboldt Current come from the Antarctic. Winds, the gravitational pull of the moon, and the rotation of the earth stimulate the current, making the deeper waters rise and deliver nutrients to the higher levels. This, combined with the sun’s light, promotes plankton growth that attracts small fish that attract larger fish and birds. The birds’ waste (guano) makes great fertilizer. A perfect cycle. So this old island still has a lot to offer.

The ‘conveyor belt’ of tectonic plates has moved Española over a hundred miles from its place of origin, but there are areas with dense wildlife population.

The writer chats with a sea lion on Española

We start the day with a panga ride along the eastern side of the island, and then we have the opportunity for snorkeling, or, as I prefer, a walk on the beach. You may remember I was enthralled by the sea lions earlier on this trip. I can’t resist the chance to visit with a new group of them.