This morning we woke up in the northern region of the Galapagos Marine Reserve at Genovesa Island. Genovesa forms a crescent shape, with part of the volcanic crater having sunken into the sea long ago. This island is a magnet for seabirds, including the red-footed booby. This was our first opportunity to see the red-footed boobies because they are restricted to two large colonies in the Galapagos, one of which is located on Genovesa Island. The red-footed booby chooses to inhabit two sites in the Galapagos where the Galapagos hawk is absent; without our apex terrestrial predator present, the hatchlings of these boobies are less likely to be preyed upon.
11/29/2021
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National Geographic Endeavour II
Floreana Island
Today we woke up at Punta Cormorant, where we disembarked for an early pre-breakfast natural history walk. It was a great morning to appreciate the scenery of Floreana Island and to practice our photography skills while enjoying incredible wildlife along the changing landscape of the trail. We also visited a beach where we were lucky to see Pacific green sea turtle nests, and the tracks of recent hatchlings that had come out of the nest in the past few days. After breakfast, we went for a Zodiac ride along Champion Islet. This was a great opportunity to observe different species of sea birds such as brown noddy terns, frigate birds, and swallow tail gulls. We also had the chance to go deep water snorkeling along the shore of this islet, where sea lions were playing around guests. In the afternoon, some guests decided on kayaking and paddleboarding, while others went to visit Post Office Bay, where we found an opportunity to talk about the human history of the Galapagos. We ended the day at Post Office Beach, where some guests had a chance to walk along the beach while others went for a swim.
