Today we woke up anchored in the middle of a caldera called Darwin Bay, on the Island of Genovesa. This place hosts the largest population of red-footed boobies, not only in the islands but also in the world! Around 230,000 individuals live at this unique site. A quick breakfast and off we go. Our photographers are out first to take advantage of the early morning light.
On the beach we had the chance to see red-footed boobies in their nests, juveniles practicing their flying and fishing skills, juvenile frigatebirds, Galapagos doves, swallow-tailed gulls, and our well-known sea lions, just everywhere we looked we had a chance to see a wonderful scene that seemed to come out of an Attenborough documentary.
Another group of our guests went to Prince Phillip Steps, named after the visit of Prince Phillip himself to this site. The goal was to spot more boobies and the short-eared owl, and we did! There was also a chance for aquatic activities later on in the morning, kayaking paddle boarding and snorkel as usual, but this time along the cliff of the caldera.
After a lunch featuring vegetables grown in the islands, our groups switched—those that went to the beach now head on to the cliff and the groups that visited the cliff now head to the beach. This way, everybody has a chance to see everything, and we also maintain the pristine ecosystems of the islands.
With this outing, we had to say goodbye to the islands, which were glowing with their usual charm. Back on the National Geographic Endeavour II, our photo team put on a slide of pictures together so that we could finish our expedition remembering the highlights of our week and take those memories back home.
