Genovesa Island
We woke to find we had anchored inside an eroded and submerged caldera and that the skies were again blue and the sun was shinning and it was yet another marvelous day. This is superb weather for July, and no one is complaining!
As we rode the Zodiacs to shore, dozens of seabirds wheeled above us. This island is home to at least one million birds and the great frigatebirds, red-footed and Nazca boobies, swallow-tailed gulls and red-billed tropicbirds were all observed even before we landed on the beach. The morning walk was along a nesting site of frigates and boobies and we delighted in watching these birds. They were in all the various stages of courtship, incubation and chick care.
One of the real and unexpected delights of a visit to Galapagos is the feeling, for once, of being accepted—well, ignored usually—by the wildlife. Meanwhile we merrily snap picture after picture of their most intimate moments. The birds and animals just go about their daily lives and behaviors as if we weren’t there. Except for the sealions of course, and they don’t ignore us! They seem to enjoy playing with us as much as we do with them.
We snorkeled and swam (lovely parrotfish and warmer waters today), hiked in the afternoon (we spotted a couple of hunting short-eared owls) and ended the day with a hilarious skit performed by the group of young folks who are voyaging in these islands with us on Polaris this week. Everyone is having a splendid time and it is sad to realize that tomorrow is our final day of the trip.
We woke to find we had anchored inside an eroded and submerged caldera and that the skies were again blue and the sun was shinning and it was yet another marvelous day. This is superb weather for July, and no one is complaining!
As we rode the Zodiacs to shore, dozens of seabirds wheeled above us. This island is home to at least one million birds and the great frigatebirds, red-footed and Nazca boobies, swallow-tailed gulls and red-billed tropicbirds were all observed even before we landed on the beach. The morning walk was along a nesting site of frigates and boobies and we delighted in watching these birds. They were in all the various stages of courtship, incubation and chick care.
One of the real and unexpected delights of a visit to Galapagos is the feeling, for once, of being accepted—well, ignored usually—by the wildlife. Meanwhile we merrily snap picture after picture of their most intimate moments. The birds and animals just go about their daily lives and behaviors as if we weren’t there. Except for the sealions of course, and they don’t ignore us! They seem to enjoy playing with us as much as we do with them.
We snorkeled and swam (lovely parrotfish and warmer waters today), hiked in the afternoon (we spotted a couple of hunting short-eared owls) and ended the day with a hilarious skit performed by the group of young folks who are voyaging in these islands with us on Polaris this week. Everyone is having a splendid time and it is sad to realize that tomorrow is our final day of the trip.
