Genovesa Island

In the early hours of the morning, our captain and his crew sailed the Polaris into a caldera that long ago was an active volcano. With great skill, they used the deepest part of a channel formed at the southern-most part of the island to steer the ship in. Anchored inside, on waking, our guests began to feel the beauty of one of the most pristine islands in the archipelago. Genovesa, with an avian population estimated at over a million individuals, is a true jewel among scientists and visitors.

Soon after breakfast we headed to the beach in Darwin bay. Our walk produced more “wows” than ever before. The view of frigate birds skydiving to steal food from boobies were among the favorite things to watch (we were rooting for the boobies, of course!). After a nice walk, full of new sightings such as the red-footed boobies, we started our water activities. Once again the warm waters of the hot season looked very inviting for snorkeling. Swimming off the beach sounded like a great idea for some of our guests as well.

The afternoon was as eventful as the morning. A nice walk through a “palo santo” forest accomplished the goal of seeing one of the very few diurnal owls in the world. In retrospect, our last full day in the Galapagos was as exciting as every one of the previous outings. I am sure we’ll be sorry to leave this paradise tomorrow, but we must not forget that new experiences and adventures continually occur on these islands.