It is six in the morning, and the National Geographic Endeavour is approaching the anchoring site at Genovesa Island. Thousands of sea birds fly pass by and encircle us; it is the beginning of a new day.
Just half an hour after anchoring, the first expedition took place. It is always good to have early risers to go kayaking, exploring the dramatic coastline along Darwin Bay, where swallow tail gulls, red-footed boobies and frigates, lying in wait to begin their feeding activities. We were delighted by the sudden approaches of the young red-footed boobies, which ventured so close to us that we almost wondered if they might land on our heads… or if something else might come down upon our heads! Luckily for us, this didn’t happen.
The expedition continued with an exploration of the beach, where an army of birds and sea lions filled us up with great excitement, and filled our cameras with many gigabytes, perhaps even terabytes, of pictures. The comical side of nature was expressed while we were watching a display of fiddler crabs, when a hilarious lava gull exploded in frenetic laughter. The red mangrove trees showed us that life goes steadily ahead, not only in bursts of courtship or in the frantic escapes from a predator, but also in a passive but firm way, as their propagules stick into the sand and spread roots and branches to soon become a gorgeous tree.
While walking to the beach in order to return to the National Geographic Endeavour, our eyes were caught by this sudden movement among the scorpion tail weeds. It was a male sharp beaked ground finch, feasting on the clusters of flowers of this delicate-looking plant. The little bird was so involved in its meal that it was almost oblivious to our presence, although occasionally it gave us a look as if to say “sorry, just enough for me.”
The snorkeling excursion during the afternoon was welcome, as both the air and the water were warm enough to provide a more than pleasant experience, as it was expected, among a multitude of fish that were on display.
Genovesa once again sealed a chapter for another Lindblad – National Geographic expedition on the Galapagos. These memories will last forever in the minds and hearts of our guests. Will we walk the trails of the Galapagos again?
