Genovesa Island
Just after dawn, the National Geographic Endeavour slowly made her way over and into Darwin Bay, and found herself surrounded by the island of Genovesa. This island is also known as Tower Island; these days we don’t use the English names any more. The names were originally given by the first men who mapped the archipelago, mostly British pirates, then whalers.
The up-draft created by our vessel provided an up-lifting experience (ha!) for many feathered individuals curious enough to come over and check us out. Craning our necks, pointing the cameras, we were mesmerized by watching them. The juvenile red-footed boobies were all over us…and I mean ALL over us! They loved the crow’s nest especially, as it gave them the best view, and perching practice in cross-winds. It’s that time of year, when they are just beginning to fly, are enjoying the freedom, yet are still being fed by the parents…what freedom!
There are two sites to visit here in the island, so both morning and afternoon we took turns visiting the beach, where red-footed boobies nest in thickets of red mangrove trees, and “Prince Philip’s Steps” where the Nazca boobies are the stars of the show. The entire island is covered by frigatebird nests, and on the outer coast, the day-time presence of small Galapagos storm-petrels brings out the short-eared owls, their main predator. In fact one group had an owl catch a petrel and fly right by them with it in its talons!
Squawking and clicking, whining and keening, the sounds overhead throughout the day added a dimension to Galapagos that hasn’t been as obvious on the other islands. This “bird island” has an olfactory component as well…all birds, all day, millions of years. It is not deep in guano like other places off the coast of Peru that never receive rain. Occasional heavy rainy seasons wash Genovesa clean from time to time. This year looks like it will be a dry one.
Kayaking and snorkeling were additional activities that many people enjoyed…and the snorkelers really got a show – mustard rays, eagle rays, reef shark and hammerheads! it’s amazing how much one can fit into 12 hours of daylight! We even squeezed in a foosball competition against the crew, as well as a kayak regatta with teams made up of guests, crew and combo teams as well!
It was our last full day in the islands, and we made the most of it. What an incredible way to spend one’s last week of the year!
