This morning the National Geographic Islander entered the caldera of Genovesa Island as the first birds woke up. A group of eager guests took our kayaks along the cliffs of Darwin bay and enjoyed seabirds and sea lions alike. After breakfast we all disembarked with our enthusiastic naturalists to walk a trail along a white coral sand beach and coral pebble beach margin. We had to walk very slowly because the many nests and birds all around us. We photographed many of them, using the new National Geographic tips given during the week. The highlight were the red-footed boobies perching and nesting in the mangrove shrubs thanks to their prehensile feet with which they cling to branches and twigs. Great frigate birds also nest in the area and we saw some with their pouches inflated while in flight! We also saw yellow crowned night herons, ruddy turnstones, mocking birds, and several species of finches, including the prince of darkness, the Vampire finch! We then returned to the beach where a few sea lions were resting. Our guests either chose to stay for a while on the beach or go for our last snorkeling outing. Three Zodiacs of snorkelers found colorful fish, a few sea lions and fair visibility as they swam along at the base of the cliffs.
After lunch, the afternoon walk began with a dry landing and a climb up the steep cliff on rugged stairs called “Prince Phillip’s Steps.” We came first to the nesting area of the Nazca booby. They were courting and selecting mates with lots of babies all around. Then we entered a palo-santo forest and found more nesting of red-footed boobies and great frigate birds. We finished on the other shore along a red lava field where we looked for the short-eared owl. These raptors are usually active at night but here on Genovesa, in the absence of hawks or other predatory birds, they are active during the day! Thousands of storm petrels flew over the lava in the background.
Soon we will leave the Galapagos, but the Galapagos will never leave us!!!
