Genovesa Island
Early in the morning we anchored inside the caldera of Genovesa Island known as Darwin Bay. We started our day with visiting the beach located in the bay. After a wet landing we found ourselves immersed in a fantastic landscape created by white coralline sand, sharp rust colored ah ah lava, deep green mangroves inhabited by a huge colony of red footed boobies, swallow tailed gulls, Nazca boobies, yellow crowned night herons and a few species of Darwin’s finches. As our walks ended we began getting ready to snorkel, kayak, or just relax on the deck of the National Geographic Endeavour.
In the afternoon we enjoyed a kayak regatta organized by our expedition leader. Many of our young explorers and their parents showed us their skills in the water. Shortly after we explored Prince Philip’s steps with cameras and binoculars in hand. We found ourselves surrounded with large colonies of birds such as Nazca boobies, great frigate birds, red footed boobies and Galápagos storm petrels. As we looked more carefully around the old rusty lava flows we found some short-eared owls hunting.
During this time of the year, Genovesa Island remains dry. The trees are all leafless waiting for the rains to leaf out and turn green. On the trees you find frigate birds and red-footed boobies nesting, feeding the chicks and others perching enjoying the sunny day.
On our way back to the National Geographic Endeavour everyone remained quiet, overwhelmed with the beauty of the place, observing the loud red billed tropic bird in flight amongst frigates birds and red footed boobies. Just realizing the fact of being in this paradise, the Galápagos Islands.
