Today is our last full day aboard National Geographic Endeavour II. We are visiting the island of Genovesa, locally known as “Bird Island.” Genovesa is the northeastern most island of the archipelago. It’s a volcano that is sinking as it moves to the east. The ship anchored in what was once the volcano’s crater. We explored many different nesting sites for seabirds, including red-footed boobies, Nazca boobies, etc. We also explored the marine life by snorkeling, kayaking, paddleboarding, and taking Zodiac tours along the beautiful basaltic cliffs. We enjoyed unique encounters with the amazing wildlife of the Galapagos Islands.
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.
