The contrasts of wildlife are incredible on this journey, as we travel from the oldest islands to the youngest, from the coastal area to the highlands and now to the outer perimeter of the archipelago. Genovesa appears to be a lost world, as we enter a massive collapsed caldera to find our anchorage. As the sun rises we are stunned by amount of bird life surrounding us. Genovesa is one of the midsized islands that is at the precipice of deep slopes underwater, heading into the abyss. Due to this position, there is an abundance of fish and nutrients in the deeper waters for the seabirds to feed on. Great and magnificent frigatebirds soar high above us searching for food to steal, as they harass red-footed boobies upon their return from foraging. Red-billed tropic birds make their telltale high pitched screech as they search for their nesting areas on the inside cliffs of this caldera.
As we land and head inland, we notice that the area is absolutely covered by occupying wildlife. Red-footed boobies nest in the red mangroves with some fledglings losing the last of their down plumage. A few new nests are spotted, as we witness some boobies bringing in fresh branches to repair the structures. Great frigatebirds show the females their large wingspan as they move their inflated gular sacs back and forth, calling out to attract any available mates. The occasional sharp-beaked Darwin finch flits by, and the swallow-tailed gulls move pebbles about for their nesting areas. One of our hikes heads out towards the cliffs of the island, where our guests spot Galapagos fur seals at the landing of Prince Phillips steps. As altitude is gained, we begin our search for the short-eared owl. Due to the absence of the Galapagos hawk on this island, the short-eared owl has evolved to be the top predator, becoming diurnal and preying upon storm petrels that nest in the cliff areas.
Our snorkeling excursion later on brings a new environment full of discoveries. We enjoy close encounters with scalloped hammerhead sharks in all of their highly evolved glory. Massive schools of large golden rays gracefully swim around us, almost oblivious to our presence.
As the day comes to a close, it occurs to us that these extraordinary creatures have accepted us as part of the environment. It feels good to have a place in this ocean, and upon this earth. This is another experience that the Galapagos has given to us, another feeling that we will never forget.
