IGUANA Take a SEAlfie?

Española Island, Ecuador - December 18, 2016

I was referred to as 'Ms. Chicken' today. I have to admit I was scared, but I had all reasons to be. You couldn't take a step without stepping on an Iguana. The scariest part of all is that the Iguanas camouflage with the rocks... so they constantly startle you. So as I said, I believe I had all reasons to be scared! However, I don't regret taking this hike at all!

Today we arrived at Española, the southern most island in the Galapagos. We walked through a clearly marked trail of rocks, sea-lion and iguana dung, birds, iguanas, sea lions, and crabs.The rocks themselves had a distinct color. They had a shiny, black look which made all the animals pop out. 

There were crabs of red color, which almost appeared to be glowing. There were Boobies, Mockingbirds, Albatross, and my favorite, Frigates. I like to call them 'Bat man birds' because these fascinating creatures look like the bat man symbol. They fly for hours without flapping their wings and just glide near us. 

The Albatross were neat as well, sending a quite frightening vibe. Their feathers were of a grey, unattractive color and they looked almost sick. Our guide told us that these birds are believed to bring sailors bad weather. I guess I'm not the only one who felt their disturbing vibes. 

The Boobies, however, didn't seem so unique. On some other islands they have Blue footed Boobies which have bright blue feet and white feathers. Now that I want to see! We did see one Booby who was hovering over an egg. That was super cool! It was guarding it with its life and put a sour face if you walked even near it. 

The birds were pretty interesting, but my favorite creature was the sea lions by far! They looked so sweet and playful. I wasn't allowed to touch them, but their shiny, soft skin and big eyes were so tempting. Even my mom admitted she wanted to take one home. Some of them would rest on land, but most of them chilled in the crystal, blue water. They would swim around, splashing and climbing on each other. The only thing keeping me from joining their stacks was the Alpha-male. He was... not so friendly. He had the same features as the others, but was much larger. He protected his pack and was ready to charge at any threat Immediately. Most of the colony was made of females and young, and the Alpha-male watched over them all. He stays their until he is challenged by another male, and the winner remains King of the island. All the ones who didn't succeed join their own island, the 'Bachelor Island'.

I started the hike afraid to even step on a rock and ended up almost running around. My fear had drifted with the tide, and I felt invincible. The Iguanas wouldn't even flinch as I walked past them and remained zen. We hiked back enjoying the view and the calmness of nature. When we returned to the ship, we washed off our shoes to get rid off all the dirt and dung. The smell still follows me as I am writing this, but I'm glad because this is something I never (I)guana forget.