Genovesa Island
After a long comfortable navigation, we woke early this morning in front of one of the most spectacular islands of the archipelago: Genovesa. The first adventure of the day was devoted to enjoying the wonders of nature at Darwin Bay. After a wet landing, we were surrounded by all the sea bird species that we have dreamed of – great frigate birds flying around, swallow-tailed gulls nesting all over the ground, and spectacular red-footed boobies nesting on the mangrove forest. The splendor of Darwin Bay was something that made us feel as if we were inside a magical world. Further up the trail, we were surprised by several young yellow crowned night herons that were showing their hunting abilities. As we returned back to the beach, a few lava gulls landed in front of us and started singing a natural symphony as if they were trying to make us stay for a little longer.
The next adventure of the day was the discovery of the underwater world that is found at Darwin Bay. As soon as we arrived back on board the National Geographic Islander, we got our gear ready and took the Zodiacs for the snorkeling activity. The majesty of the color combination that was found underwater left us without words to describe it. As we started following the cliffs, different reef fish surrounded us as if we were inside a fish tank. At the end of this marvelous exploration, two big eagle rays passed by the Zodiac as if they were greeting us for coming inside their dominion.
In the afternoon the adventure just got better. After a delightful buffet lunch, it was time to visit one of the most astounding places of the all-inclusive archipelago – Prince Philip’s steps. As we reached the summit of the cliff, the marvelous bird paradise was superb and pleasing.
On the ground, there were the attractive Nazca boobies moving from place to place as they were trying to attract a mate. On the incense trees, red-footed boobies were singing for the people that visit them day after day. As we reached the other side of the cliff area, it was time to look for one of the most challenging birds to be found: the short-eared owl. During the hike we saw a few individuals that were patiently waiting on the rocks for a victim to fly by.
The cherry on top of the ice cream was definitely the sighting of male great frigate birds that were courting and displaying for the females that passed over their heads. At the end of the visit, we enjoyed a marvelous sunset that showed us the end of a fantastic trip.
