Genovesa is located at the northeastern corner of the archipelago, and therefore warm waters bathe it. As evidence of higher temperatures, we found coarse coral at the landing beach, Darwin Bay, and we saw an abundance of parrotfish when we snorkeled. The highlight of snorkeling was the hammerhead sharks. They seem to enjoy warmer waters as well.
This is the island of more than a million birds. As soon as we set foot on it, we encountered swallow-tailed gulls, red-footed boobies, Nazca boobies, and frigatebirds. The island looks green with a few patches of red, thanks to the generous showers of the rainy season. We observed the gular pouches of male frigatebirds as the birds sat among the vegetation and waited for females to choose them. This is their breeding season! We could spend hours watching their courtships. Females check on the males from the air and land on vegetation when they are interested, and then the dancing starts. Love is in the air, and love is in our hearts.
We celebrated Earth Day by collecting trash from the islands. It was our little contribution to the planet. Tomorrow, we will enjoy finding giant tortoises in the wild. This entire voyage has been Galapagos at its best!
