Genovesa Island
Shortly after the glowing red orb of the sun rose above the sea on the eastern horizon, the Polaris cruised gently into the quiet harbor of Darwin Bay to anchor in the lee of Genovesa Island. We were floating in an ancient caldera of a now sunken volcano. Around us, the cliffs that formed the inner cone of the caldera now ring the bay in the shape of a large crescent. Above the cliff edges we could see hundreds of frigatebirds circling as silhouettes against the dawn sky. After breakfast we went ashore on a beach of white coral sand to get a closer view of the seabirds that call this remote island home. The highlight of the morning was watching, and listening to, the behavior of the many great frigatebirds now in the beginning of their breeding cycle on Genovesa. Wherever there were bushes or shrubs to land upon, there were male figatebirds displaying their balloon-like red gular pouches to attract females. In frigatebird society, it’s definitely a case of “lady’s choice.” The males try to build a bit of a nest to sit on and then display for a female. The challenge is that if a male leaves its nest to gather more sticks, other males may steal the few sticks it has already gathered. Indeed, the frigatebirds are so fond of stealing things, they often try to steal nest sticks from other frigatebirds and red-footed boobies in midflight. Once a male has a small nest accumulated, it will fill its red gular pouch with air, until it protrudes like a swollen balloon from under its long hooked beak. When a female frigatebird flies over, all of the displaying males begin braying and gobbling like turkeys, flapping their wings and clattering their bills like castanets. The females fly calmly over this strange ogling group of males looking for a potential mate. If she chooses one, she lands next to him. If she likes what she sees, they will form a bond, and she will then guard the initial pile of nest sticks while the male goes to gather more to complete the nest. Red was certainly the special color of the morning’s outing. In addition to the delightful frigatebirds, we also saw many red-footed boobies showing off their beautiful footwear, as well as numerous swallow-tailed gulls. These unusual gulls are the only nocturnal gulls in the world, and their large dark eyes are rimmed with bright red eye rings.
By late morning many of us had taken to the water. Some snorkelers headed out to view the myriad types of colorful fishes along the deeper slopes of the bay. Others chose to loll in the pleasant waters near the beach where a playful sea lion kept them well entertained. In the afternoon we boarded the Zodiacs again for a cruise along the edges of the caldera’s cliffs. Here, the “red” theme of the day continued with views of red-billed tropicbirds rocketing by overhead, calling to each other with shrill voices. We climbed up the cliff walls at Prince Phillip’s Steps, and ambled among more nesting frigatebirds, red-footed boobies on our way to view many brilliant white Nazca boobies which dotted the windward shores of the island. Amongst the rusty colored lava rocks we also found a secretive short-eared owl, the island’s only avian predator. A barbecue dinner on the teak deck was capped by some astounding star gazing beneath the heavens in this most remarkable part of the world.
Shortly after the glowing red orb of the sun rose above the sea on the eastern horizon, the Polaris cruised gently into the quiet harbor of Darwin Bay to anchor in the lee of Genovesa Island. We were floating in an ancient caldera of a now sunken volcano. Around us, the cliffs that formed the inner cone of the caldera now ring the bay in the shape of a large crescent. Above the cliff edges we could see hundreds of frigatebirds circling as silhouettes against the dawn sky. After breakfast we went ashore on a beach of white coral sand to get a closer view of the seabirds that call this remote island home. The highlight of the morning was watching, and listening to, the behavior of the many great frigatebirds now in the beginning of their breeding cycle on Genovesa. Wherever there were bushes or shrubs to land upon, there were male figatebirds displaying their balloon-like red gular pouches to attract females. In frigatebird society, it’s definitely a case of “lady’s choice.” The males try to build a bit of a nest to sit on and then display for a female. The challenge is that if a male leaves its nest to gather more sticks, other males may steal the few sticks it has already gathered. Indeed, the frigatebirds are so fond of stealing things, they often try to steal nest sticks from other frigatebirds and red-footed boobies in midflight. Once a male has a small nest accumulated, it will fill its red gular pouch with air, until it protrudes like a swollen balloon from under its long hooked beak. When a female frigatebird flies over, all of the displaying males begin braying and gobbling like turkeys, flapping their wings and clattering their bills like castanets. The females fly calmly over this strange ogling group of males looking for a potential mate. If she chooses one, she lands next to him. If she likes what she sees, they will form a bond, and she will then guard the initial pile of nest sticks while the male goes to gather more to complete the nest. Red was certainly the special color of the morning’s outing. In addition to the delightful frigatebirds, we also saw many red-footed boobies showing off their beautiful footwear, as well as numerous swallow-tailed gulls. These unusual gulls are the only nocturnal gulls in the world, and their large dark eyes are rimmed with bright red eye rings.
By late morning many of us had taken to the water. Some snorkelers headed out to view the myriad types of colorful fishes along the deeper slopes of the bay. Others chose to loll in the pleasant waters near the beach where a playful sea lion kept them well entertained. In the afternoon we boarded the Zodiacs again for a cruise along the edges of the caldera’s cliffs. Here, the “red” theme of the day continued with views of red-billed tropicbirds rocketing by overhead, calling to each other with shrill voices. We climbed up the cliff walls at Prince Phillip’s Steps, and ambled among more nesting frigatebirds, red-footed boobies on our way to view many brilliant white Nazca boobies which dotted the windward shores of the island. Amongst the rusty colored lava rocks we also found a secretive short-eared owl, the island’s only avian predator. A barbecue dinner on the teak deck was capped by some astounding star gazing beneath the heavens in this most remarkable part of the world.
