Genovesa Island
After we had been sailing for six hours, in the distance we visualized the silhouette of one of the most remote and beautiful islands in the Galápagos: Genovesa Island, also known as the “Island of the Birds.” We got to the anchorage area, which is an old collapsed caldera, with the sunrise and our arrival was welcome by large flocks of red-footed boobies that were heading to their feeding grounds located several miles offshore.
The morning visit started with a short zodiac ride along the cliffs of Darwin Bay. From the zodiac, we spotted frigatebirds, red-billed tropic birds, swallow-tailed gulls and red-footed boobies, but our goal was to find the other type of sea lion (Arctocephalus galapagoensis) that inhabits the rocky cliffs of the island. We pinpointed a few of them close to the landing area, Prince Phillip’s Steps.
Once on the island, we walked through incense trees (Bursera graveolens), yellow cordia (Cordia lutea), and Galápagos croton (Croton scouleri). These trees house the only species of booby—red-footed booby (Sula sula)—that build nests in trees. Also, we spotted several species of Darwin finches, such as the large ground finch, warbler finch, and sharp-beaked ground finch.
At the end of the forest we found a clear area with an ocean view, which is the result of volcanic flows. The lava field is full of small fractures and lava tubes. These interesting features are ideal nesting places for storm petrels. The area was crowded by Galápagos storm petrels that were returning from their feeding areas to feed their chicks. Moreover, one of the attractions of this place is the short-eared owl (Asio flameus); we spotted a couple of these raptors waiting for the petrels that were soaring all over the field trying to find their nests.
Our morning finished with aquatic activities; kayaking and snorkeling were the highlights, and those who decided to go snorkeling enjoyed the fascinating underwater realm. The warm water of this unique place provides an excellent environment for tropical fish. For instance, golden cow-nosed rays, razor surgeonfish and king angelfish were among many others found today.
The afternoon hike took place at Darwin Bay’s beach. One of the major attractions of this place is the great frigatebirds (Fregata minor). Between February and June, males are courting, inflating their red gular pouches. Along the beach we also found the majestic swallow-tailed gulls (Creagrus furcatus), Nazca boobies (Sula granti), and the friendly and graceful sea lions. Furthermore, a few land birds such as mockingbirds, doves, and yellow warblers were present to capture our attention.
At the end of the beach we found shallow tide pools that got formed by the alternate rising and falling of the sea. Several species of small fish were trapped in them, such as damselfish, black-striped salema and barberfish.
Our nature quest ended when we came back aboard and everybody relaxed on the pool deck where we enjoyed a delicious endemic cocktail and a bizarre sunset.
