The morning hike on Espanola was one of the most beautiful of the trip due to the rocky cliffs along the coast which created a fantastic vista. This island is the only place in the world where the Waved Albatross reproduces. Some pairs were nesting on eggs while others were tending to their rather homely-looking chicks. Courting pairs displayed an elaborate ritual of beak crossing, rapid beak clicking and cork-like popping, sky pointing and head bobbing. Surprisingly, they don't mate until they meet the following year.
Large waves crashed into the lava rocks below the cliffs. A blow hole periodically shot water spray 30 feet into the air. As humans are prone to doing stupid things, apparently someone fell into the blow hole a few years ago and people are no longer allowed to approach it.
Christmas Iguanas live on this island and are characterized by a reddish color on the tops of the heads and bodies.
After lunch, we had one last opportunity to snorkel off of a long stretch of white sandy beach. The sand originally came from coral reefs which interestingly are no longer found among the islands. The sand has an extremely fine texture and is quite comfortable to walk on. The usual assortment of sea lions lay sprawled along the beach. I was able to spy another large reef shark.
The trip was not only memorable for the amount of animals we saw but also for the people and accommodations at the two camps where we stayed. Our first guide, BK, was a wealth of information about the animals, landscape and down to the plants and what they were used for. Everyday out was a learning experience with him. All the people at the camps were gracious and the food was excellent.
Our second camp in the Okavanga was just as good as the first as far as the staff, accommodations, food and animals. After our experience at the first camp we amazed that the high quality remained the same. Our guide, G, made sure we were able to enjoy every experience including a rush through the bush to witness a cheetah and an ensuing hunt that he heard over his radio.
In both camps there were enough guides out that if they saw something the other guides were informed which helped in seeing as much as possible. It was also nice that the concessions were large enough that we did not have vehicles following each other throughout the day.
Normally there is always something in a trip of this length that we think could be improved upon but this is the rare case where we cannot think of anything. From the time we left the States to when we returned it was one of the most hassle free vacations we took.
Perhaps emphasizing the use of the laundry facilities at the camps would be useful because of the luggage restrictions would be the only thing I can think of as an improvement to future clients.
Kenneth Dropek
1 day ago
Mary was so pleasant and professional. She made sure all of our questions were answered.