Genovesa Island
Genovesa, the Bird Island, welcomed us with new species of birds, and fish and plants as well. One of the favorites of the morning was the great frigate bird, especially because we found some of the males with their gular pouches still partially and completely inflated. The breeding season is almost over, and the purpose of the male pouch is to attract females in flight. This is the season of baby frigates and of many nests on the salt bushes of the shoreline. But we were lucky, as we have been all week, and saw it all, pouches and lots of frigate chicks.
One new species we found was the famous vampire finch. Its real name is sharp-beaked ground finch, however, its behavior of drinking blood from boobies has made it known by such a name. We also encountered the main predator of this island, the short-eared owl. Not only one, but a pair, and quite close to the trail.
The underwater highlight was a gigantic manta ray, at least 12 feet across, that most of our guests got to see; not only the snorkelers, who even played with it, but also the Zodiac riders that enjoyed the greatness of this cartilaginous fish from the comfort of our pangas.
What about new plants? We even found that. There is a species endemic to the northern islands only, the non-prickly prickly pear cactus. We saw it and we even touched it! Red footed boobies, swallow-tailed gulls, brown pelicans, sea lions, fur seals, and parrotfish. They were all in our list of sightings too.
To complete the day, just when we were leaving the bay to enjoy sunset outside the collapsed caldera of Genovesa, we saw a huge baleen whale, most certainly a Bryde’s whale. We heard its blow while the colors of sunset painted Genovesa sky.
Genovesa, the Bird Island, welcomed us with new species of birds, and fish and plants as well. One of the favorites of the morning was the great frigate bird, especially because we found some of the males with their gular pouches still partially and completely inflated. The breeding season is almost over, and the purpose of the male pouch is to attract females in flight. This is the season of baby frigates and of many nests on the salt bushes of the shoreline. But we were lucky, as we have been all week, and saw it all, pouches and lots of frigate chicks.
One new species we found was the famous vampire finch. Its real name is sharp-beaked ground finch, however, its behavior of drinking blood from boobies has made it known by such a name. We also encountered the main predator of this island, the short-eared owl. Not only one, but a pair, and quite close to the trail.
The underwater highlight was a gigantic manta ray, at least 12 feet across, that most of our guests got to see; not only the snorkelers, who even played with it, but also the Zodiac riders that enjoyed the greatness of this cartilaginous fish from the comfort of our pangas.
What about new plants? We even found that. There is a species endemic to the northern islands only, the non-prickly prickly pear cactus. We saw it and we even touched it! Red footed boobies, swallow-tailed gulls, brown pelicans, sea lions, fur seals, and parrotfish. They were all in our list of sightings too.
To complete the day, just when we were leaving the bay to enjoy sunset outside the collapsed caldera of Genovesa, we saw a huge baleen whale, most certainly a Bryde’s whale. We heard its blow while the colors of sunset painted Genovesa sky.
