Genovesa Island
Although no bump was felt in the night, we crossed the Equator during the wee hours to find ourselves at the northernmost point of the journey for sunrise. The Polaris slipped quietly into a “seabird world” nestled inside the gaping caldera of Darwin Bay. All day we marveled at the intimate lives of this feathered realm. Graceful frigate birds hung on the wind while busy boobies sailed past to and from their nests dotting the low, mainly leafless vegetation ashore. Behind the glowing white coral beach, fluffy white frigate chicks gawked and squawked, unaware as lenses of all shapes and sizes were pointed at them. Amorous swallow-tailed gulls preened one another’s delicate head feathers by the trailside while blue-eyed doves and cocky mockingbirds scampered underfoot. Agile red-footed boobies commuted noisily to precariously perched nests carrying twigs and branches, even as their more erstwhile cousins, the Nazca boobies, were going about setting up home on the ground below. Even the sea lions joined the scene, playing and splashing in turquoise waters while pups suckled their sleeping mothers on the white sand.
And the pace did not let up for the afternoon. Screaming tropic-birds wheeled about in the sun-dappled skies, white streamers streaking like pennants, occasionally landing on a high lava ledge along the cliff. Lower down, fur seals dozed on smooth boulders only inches above where the intrepid snorkelers had thrilling encounters with angelfish and, for some, even a huge manta ray. As the sun sank westward, we gazed over the mesmerizing carousel flight of thousands of fluttering storm petrels frequenting their hidden nests underneath the lava crusts. Even a short-eared owl or two were spotted, perfectly camouflaged, hunkered stealthily as they awaited any unwary petrel.
With the stars ablaze and a thinly-glowing sliver moon setting, another classic Galapagos day comes to an end!
Although no bump was felt in the night, we crossed the Equator during the wee hours to find ourselves at the northernmost point of the journey for sunrise. The Polaris slipped quietly into a “seabird world” nestled inside the gaping caldera of Darwin Bay. All day we marveled at the intimate lives of this feathered realm. Graceful frigate birds hung on the wind while busy boobies sailed past to and from their nests dotting the low, mainly leafless vegetation ashore. Behind the glowing white coral beach, fluffy white frigate chicks gawked and squawked, unaware as lenses of all shapes and sizes were pointed at them. Amorous swallow-tailed gulls preened one another’s delicate head feathers by the trailside while blue-eyed doves and cocky mockingbirds scampered underfoot. Agile red-footed boobies commuted noisily to precariously perched nests carrying twigs and branches, even as their more erstwhile cousins, the Nazca boobies, were going about setting up home on the ground below. Even the sea lions joined the scene, playing and splashing in turquoise waters while pups suckled their sleeping mothers on the white sand.
And the pace did not let up for the afternoon. Screaming tropic-birds wheeled about in the sun-dappled skies, white streamers streaking like pennants, occasionally landing on a high lava ledge along the cliff. Lower down, fur seals dozed on smooth boulders only inches above where the intrepid snorkelers had thrilling encounters with angelfish and, for some, even a huge manta ray. As the sun sank westward, we gazed over the mesmerizing carousel flight of thousands of fluttering storm petrels frequenting their hidden nests underneath the lava crusts. Even a short-eared owl or two were spotted, perfectly camouflaged, hunkered stealthily as they awaited any unwary petrel.
With the stars ablaze and a thinly-glowing sliver moon setting, another classic Galapagos day comes to an end!
