Our ship anchored in the middle of the caldera of an extinct volcano, Darwin Bay. Some of our guests went kayaking early in the morning before breakfast and were able to see plenty of birds flying over the old caldera of the volcano as they kayaked along its rim. After breakfast we had a landing at Darwin Bay, to explore the nesting ground of many birds like the great frigate birds and red footed boobies, which were nesting on the red mangrove trees.
This was sea bird island, as they were everywhere we looked. Some red footed boobies had some eggs, while others already had chicks. Life in Genovesa is plentiful and the interaction among species here is just magical. We could feel how enchanted this archipelago was before humans had an impact on it.
After a fascinating hike, we returned aboard to get ready and head on our next adventure, this time to explore the blue heart of the planet, snorkeling along the wall of Prince Philip’s Steps. While snorkeling, we saw some pacific green sea turtles and plenty of fish, some of us were lucky to see some fur seals (truly sea lions) on the coastline and some of us had the chance to see a hammerhead shark.
After lunch, we went out to explore the area around Prince Philip’s Steps. We encountered hundreds of red footed boobies and storm petrels flying over the cliff. This rusty lava on the cliffs made a perfect camouflage for the endemic short eared owl, but that did not stop us from finding several of these top predators.
Our expedition in the Galapagos was unique. This week we have created new ambassadors who after leaving this place will begin to see the world with different eyes.
