Darwin Bay, Genovesa Island, 3/9/2025, National Geographic Delfina
Aboard the
National Geographic Delfina
Galápagos
Today we explored one of the jewels of the Galapagos, Genovesa Island. Exploring Prince Philip’s Steps before breakfast was key in order to avoid the heat of the day. We observed hundreds of seabirds, and we even spotted the rare diurnal short-eared owl. In the afternoon we explored the island by kayaking and visited Darwin Bay beach, where we found sea lions and many seabirds nesting.
Javier grew up on Santa Cruz island where his grandparents first arrived in the 1940´s. Veritable pioneers, his grandparents settled in the highlands where they found a place to raise their children.
We started the day with a hike at a beautiful oasis of green poison apple trees, which happens to be the home of the Galapagos land iguanas. During the outing we also found many of the Alcedo volcano species of giant tortoise — it was quite an amazing experience to be surrounded by these giants among the wilderness! After lunch we navigated to Tagus Cove for kayaking and snorkeling along the coast; we enjoyed sightings of Galapagos penguins, flightless cormorants, and Galapagos sea lions resting near the shore. We finished our day hiking a trail around Darwin Crater Lake. Another perfect day in this natural paradise!
We have reached the western side of the archipelago. As we navigated to our first destination, a huge pod of common dolphins crossed our path and gave us an amazing show of speed and agility. We celebrated our crossing of the Equator aboard National Geographic Delfina and then anchored at Punta Vicente Roca. Here we went out for a Zodiac ride along the cliffs of Isabela in search of wildlife. Some of the highlights of this outing were Galapagos penguins, flightless cormorants, and sea turtles. In the afternoon we visited Fernandina Island, the youngest of all. Here we enjoyed a walk near the nesting site of the famous marine iguanas. We witnessed their adaptations to the harsh environment of the basaltic new islands of the Galapagos. The day ended with a wine tasting event on the top deck as we enjoyed the sunset.
Today we were in the central part of the archipelago, visiting a very small Island and a brand-new lava field in the morning. This massive lava flow changed the shape of Santiago Island very recently. We started with an invigorating hike at Sullivan Bay. This site is a geological work of art. We also had the chance to swim and snorkel in the clear waters of the channel between Bartolomé and Santiago. Conditions were perfect; the sunshine enhanced the colors of the tropical fish and the shapes of the Galapagos penguins that were actively fishing around us. In the afternoon we visited the spectacular Bartolome Island. We first snorkeled by the shore of this young island, where we spotted baby Galapagos sharks, golden rays, and many other fish species. Afterwards we hiked to the top of the volcano, where we admired the view of the central islands. The day ended with a mesmerizing sunset.
