Genovesa Island , 2/14/2020, National Geographic Endeavour II
Aboard the
National Geographic Endeavour II
Galápagos
Today, after a nice and smooth navigation, we arrived to the northern part of the archipelago. Genovesa Island is definitely one of the jewels of the crown. We have come all the way here to admire the beautiful red-footed boobies. We started our morning hiking on the island, admiring the red-footed boobies, the frigate birds with the inflated pouches, Nazca boobies, short eared owls, different species of finches, and much more. After the hike we came back on board to get ready for our water activities, where our guests had the opportunity to either snorkel or kayak. It was fun!
We enjoyed a delicious Galapagos lunch before heading back to Genovesa to continue our explorations.
Our day started with a very relaxing hike in the morning at Dragon Hill on Santa Cruz Island. We had the chance to spot a few land iguanas on the path and close to their burrows. We also had the opportunity to take a Zodiac ride around the shore of that area and got to see a few blue-footed boobies looking for fish in the ocean. Later, we snorkeled off Guy Fawkes Islet and saw loads of reef fish.
What comes to mind when you think about the Galapagos Islands? Is it the image of gigantic tortoises roaming over fresh lava flows? On Tuesday, those aboard National Geographic Endeavour II had the chance to live the dream. We witnessed the origin of islands, and we saw how life evolves as dozens of tortoises moved around the island. Galapagos is an archipelago isolated from the rest of the world by the vast hugeness of the Pacific Ocean. Why did this group of islands appear so far from any other piece of land? More than 120 rocks, islets and islands that never attached to any continent! The answer: these are oceanic islands, formed by the action of a hotspot underneath a moving plate, the Nazca Plate. The hot spot is located beneath the western islands; therefore, the western realm is where we encounter the youngest volcanoes. As we started our week on the easternmost islands of San Cristobal and Española, we saw the older volcanoes. As soon as we learned that Wolf Volcano was active, we changed our itinerary. We left behind the four to one million-year-old islands and sailed 90 nautical miles to reach the northern part of Isabela. Wolf is the island’s highest volcano, 1.710 meters high. It is one of the six volcanoes that give Isabela its seahorse shape. We arrived in the vicinity of Cape Marshall at 9:00 PM, with Cassiopeia constellation clear in the skies, reminding us where to find north. The moon competed in brightness with Sirius, but never with the red majestic glow coming from the active fissure of Wolf. Within hours today, we have traveled in time, from the oldest islands inhabited by giant tortoises to the very beginning, to the origin. Isn’t this what comes to mind when you think about the Galapagos? Giant tortoises and active volcanoes.
Due to the arrival of various discoverers and settlers over the years, most islands in the Galápagos archipelago have at least one Spanish and one English name. Also called the “Mystery Island,” Floreana has a unique human history, including failed business enterprises and disappearances in the 1930s. During the whaling era over a hundred years ago, Post Office Bay, north of Floreana, was a mandatory last stop for homeward bound ships. At a time when no official mailing system existed, sailors dropped letters in the Post Office barrel with hopes that a future traveler might hand-deliver them. This was the only way sailors could maintain communication with their families back home.
