Punta Suárez & Gardner Bay

Land excursion

The boat ride to Punta Suárez is long and sometimes quite rough (at least during the north to south transit) but those prepared to make the journey declare it worthwhile from the moment they arrive at the small stone pier constructed to facilitate a dry landing, and are welcomed by the endemic green-reddish Marine Iguanas (Amblyrhynchus cristatus) and the Galápagos Sea Lions (Zalophus wollebaeki).

From the pier, your morning land excursion takes you down a 1,6 km long hiking trail, where you will see many endemic species, such as the Española Mockingbird (Mimus Macdonaldi), and the Galápagos Hawk (Buteo galapagoensis). Blue-Footed Boobies (Sula nebouxii), Nazca Boobies and different species of Finch. During nesting season, from April to December, the fabulous Waved Albatross (Phoebastria irrorata) is also present. These birds mate, nest and raise their chicks on Española, touching no other land through their long lives spent crossing the open ocean.

Another highlight of the morning trip is the visit to ‘El Soplador’, where guests will see 25 m high ‘fountains’ created as the ocean’s waves pressurize water in the lava tunnels along the island’s cliff.

Diving/Snorkeling

After lunch you will visit Gardner Bay for diving or snorkeling. This shallow area between Islet Gardner and Islet Osborn is just a small protuberance but it offers good visibility and lots of animal interaction, with guests frequently encountering Eagle Rays, Golden Rays, Barracudas, Batfish (Dibranchus), Sea Turtles, Sea Lions, White-tipped Sharks, Galápagos Sharks and sometimes even Hammerhead Sharks!