A day on Española
Every day was a great day on our tour of the Galápagos! Española was one of the last islands we visited and there was so much to see. Lots of interesting bird species, beautiful scenery, and some time on the beach.
Sea Lion
Weekly Photo Challenge: Off-Season
From Española.
Tired of entertaining us with his cuteness, a sea lion catches a nap on our things while we roam the beach. The animals of the Galápagos are not shy around humans for the most part and they will get quite close to you.
Weekly Photo Challenge: Dreamy
From Española.
Galápagos sea lions (Zalophus wollebaeki) are plentiful on the islands’ picturesque beaches. Doesn’t this seem like a great place to curl up?
The Galápagos sea lions were thought to be a subspecies of the California sea lion (Zalophus californianus), but genetic studies have supported their classification as their own species. Visually, they look closely related, and they are still in the same genus. They are native to the islands, and also have been seen at other nearby islands, such as Isla de la Plata and Isla del Coco.
Weekly Photo Challenge: Zigzag
From Rábida.
This male sea lion is a beachmaster, patrolling this stretch of coast as the waves zigzag in. You can tell he is a male by his large size and the shape of his head (his forehead kind of has a bump). They can be aggressive towards people that get too close. This guy had a very very small harem (we saw only one female with two small pups on the beach), but he will still defend it from other males.
Weekly Photo Challenge: Relic
From Española.
A lava lizard perches on a sea lion skull, a relic reminding us that the cycle of life continues in the Galápagos.
Jedi by Knight 