Genovesa Island
No one missed this morning’s visit to the tiny coral beach at Genovesa. Here we watched frigates and red-footed boobies (see photo) and two species of endemic gulls: swallow-tailed and lava gulls. At 73 degrees the water was perfect for a dip from the beach or for snorkeling along the base of the cliffs.
Yesterday we were tempted by whales: twice I saw spouts but only staff and crew were my witnesses. But today, in the late morning we were delighted when our perseverance paid off! The officer on watch spied the humpback and calf that we had enjoyed watching last week here at Genovesa. They were at the mouth of Darwin Bay. Those of us who were still on the beach and two groups of snorkelers rode the Zodiacs out into the choppy waves. Many of us had the thrill of watching the 50-foot humpback surface wonderfully close to us. Some of us were near enough to see the knobs on her face, her oddly shaped dorsal fin and the huge white flippers that appeared turquoise when seen through the clear water. The calf surfaced by her side and was dwarfed in comparison.
The last walk of the trip was among nesting frigates and red-foots in the shrubs and trees; Nazca boobies nesting on the ground. We spied the first Nazi chicks of the season. We searched in vain for a short-eared owl. Oh well – guess our guests will have to return for that one. Then we saw the humpbacks breaching not far off shore!! Thousands of seabirds and humpback whales: pretty cool sightings as a finale to a fabulous expedition.
No one missed this morning’s visit to the tiny coral beach at Genovesa. Here we watched frigates and red-footed boobies (see photo) and two species of endemic gulls: swallow-tailed and lava gulls. At 73 degrees the water was perfect for a dip from the beach or for snorkeling along the base of the cliffs.
Yesterday we were tempted by whales: twice I saw spouts but only staff and crew were my witnesses. But today, in the late morning we were delighted when our perseverance paid off! The officer on watch spied the humpback and calf that we had enjoyed watching last week here at Genovesa. They were at the mouth of Darwin Bay. Those of us who were still on the beach and two groups of snorkelers rode the Zodiacs out into the choppy waves. Many of us had the thrill of watching the 50-foot humpback surface wonderfully close to us. Some of us were near enough to see the knobs on her face, her oddly shaped dorsal fin and the huge white flippers that appeared turquoise when seen through the clear water. The calf surfaced by her side and was dwarfed in comparison.
The last walk of the trip was among nesting frigates and red-foots in the shrubs and trees; Nazca boobies nesting on the ground. We spied the first Nazi chicks of the season. We searched in vain for a short-eared owl. Oh well – guess our guests will have to return for that one. Then we saw the humpbacks breaching not far off shore!! Thousands of seabirds and humpback whales: pretty cool sightings as a finale to a fabulous expedition.
