Tower Island, otherwise known as Genovesa, is home to over one million seabirds. Our highlights here today were diverse, from Nazca, red-footed & blue-footed boobies and gulls to owls, fur seals, sharks, turtles and manta rays.
Our adventure began with a wet landing on a white coralline beach inside Darwin Bay, named by a celebrity visitor, William Beebe, in honor of a great naturalist who re-directed human thought, Charles Darwin. We walked over a platform at low tide, surrounded by birds of all kinds with their chicks, observing their colors and behaviors. We were first by the adult seabirds that were actively taking care of the juveniles, hoping that one day they will be able to fend for themselves. We were also happy to find a few marine iguanas, which are smaller and darker as this northern hemisphere island due to the very different ecology that exists here. When we reached our turning point we were surprised by a playful red-footed booby, who perched on top of several of our guests. We were impressed by this fearless and curious behavior.
Back aboard, we prepared for our last snorkeling outing—our last chance to explore the undersea realm of Galapagos. We had close encounters with many fish and playful sea lions for the last time; seeing them up close inspired excitement and admiration. Some of us opted for beach snorkeling, which became a bit rough, for it seems that the seasons are changing earlier than expected.
After this great adventure, we came back to our ship anchored inside Genovesa caldera to be briefed about our departure, and afterwards we enjoyed our last delicious lunch, from our exceptional culinary staff. After lunch we opted for our last kayak outing.
We were then ready to start off our next adventure, at Prince Philip’s Steps, where we were surrounded by Nazca boobies, red-footed boobies and frigatebirds. Some of my colleagues were able to find the elusive short-ear owl. The sighting was an excellent find by one of our guests, who spotted it as it flew by us, before settling into a fissure. All of us felt rewarded to have a view of this unique bird, which is the only camouflaged diurnal raptor in the world.
Taking this walk was like being transported back in time. There were birds flying all over, like in prehistoric times, and lava formations resembling the first foundation of Earth. Later, it was time to return to the ship and reminisce about the many experiences of this wonderful week. As we look back and gaze at the islands for the last time, this place now seems to be timeless to us. It is now deep within our hearts and our experience has been unforgettable on these special islands, where the wildlife that has no fear and allows us to realize that we are not so different.
“We must not acknowledge the methodical saying ‘don’t humanize the animals’ but instead ‘animalize the human’ by perceiving our surrounding with all our senses; embracing nature by coexistence and respect for one another, so we can become one with nature as we once were.” Celso Montalvo.
We have all bonded like a family, united by this invisible mysticism At the end of our journey we hope to stay in touch, and that the experiences our guests had this week will stay with them for a lifetime.
Adiós amigos.
