GALAPAGOS: August 2011 (Part 17)
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Sep 6, 2011 | by Kevin Loughlin
Española island is always full of surprises… and sea lions! Our visit to Gardner Bay was no disappointment. Gardner Bay offers a white-sand beach, loaded with sea lions. As soon as we put out our towels to enjoy some needed down-time, a young sea lion saw his chance and joined us for some small talk followed by a nap.
Wandering along the beach, many birds can be spotted. Above is the smallest billed of the Darwin Finches… the Warbler Finch. The small, thin bill along with its feeding habits are all warbler, however, this is a finch! The Warbler Finch actually weighs nearly half as much as the Yellow Warbler!
Next up in size on Española is the Small Ground Finch. Still a small bill, though obviously more finch-like. Perfect for cracking small seeds as most finches do.
The Large Cactus Finch has a huge, grosbeak-like bill. This species is found only on Española and Genovesa!
A large, Semi-Terrestrial Hermit Crab entertained us for a bit as it crawled along the rocky shoreline.
A couple of molting Sally Lightfoot Crabs foamed and wiggled as they prepared to leave their outer shell behind.
While some folks snorkeled along the rocky outcroppings, those on the beach were treated to a Humpback Whale and her calf as they breached and rolled in the distance!