We started our day with a very early morning walk on Gardner Beach. Loads of Sea Lions and a bunch of Hood mockingbirds (Mimus hoodensis) showed up to welcome us to this old island with very rocky ecosystems. After breakfast we snorkeled with a few reef fish species and sea lion pups. In the afternoon we attended a talk by certified photo instructor Ramiro Suarez on “The Truth about Galapagos Photography.” Later we kayaked and drove Zodiacs around Punta Suarez which gave us the chance to hang out with the last sea lions of the day, and even a humpback whale and its calf.
5/29/2025
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National Geographic Gemini
Genovesa Island
Genovesa is considered one of the Galapagos crown jewels, and today it was showing off all of its splendor. Immediately after breakfast we put on our sturdy shoes and set out to explore Prince Philip’s Steps. This area is known for opportunities to observe not only large colonies of nesting Nazca and red-footed boobies, but maybe, just maybe, the short-eared owl which exhibits diurnal behavior on this island. After this walk we got ready for a dip in the Pacific Ocean and snorkeling along the inner coast of this caldera. The afternoon was equally amazing as we disembarked to explore Darwin Bay, along a short and easy trail that was packed with wildlife. Here we observed not only nesting frigatebirds, red-footed boobies, and Nazca boobies, but also a few yellow-crowned night herons. It was another incredible afternoon in the Galapagos Islands.
