North of the Equator line lies Genovesa, one of the most pristine islands of the Galapagos archipelago because it has never suffered the introduction of carnivorous, predatory mammals. It is mainly inhabited by birds. it is believed that approximately one million birds of various species have made a home here. The very colorful red-footed booby has its largest colony here of approximately 200,000 birds. This morning, we set foot on the little, white sandy beach deep in Darwin Bay. The trail is not challenging, but filled with surprises. Even before we set foot ashore we were surrounded by dozens, if not hundreds of birds of various species. We walked inland along the trail that took us by numerous nesting birds such as red-footed boobies and frigates. It was rather surprising to see so many birds, as if there had been an explosion of them! We soon realized that the bay had been taken over by the recently independent juvenile red-footed boobies and they were in the process of practicing their newly acquired skills of flight. We encountered other species along the trail like the swallow-tailed gulls, yellow-crowned night herons and great frigates. After the walk, we had a chance to relax at the beach and enjoy the surprisingly warm waters of Genovesa. Others preferred to have a last chance to snorkel across the bay where they encountered various species of fish and even some Galapagos fur seals.
In the afternoon, we set off to visit Prince Phillip’s Steps located at across from our anchorage. The steps are uneven, but once we reached the top the view was breathtaking. There was a dry forest of incense trees and yellow cordias dominated the scene. Among them were numerous Nazca and red-footed boobies. Many juvenile great frigates sat on their nests atop bushes and trees, patiently waiting for their parents to feed them after several days of fasting. Along the trail we could spot the endemic Galapagos mockingbirds and doves as well as a few species of Darwin finches. We could not believe our luck today as, just a few steps inland, we stumbled upon a short-eared owl. Genovesa lacks the Galapagos hawk which is usually the prevailing diurnal hunter, so this small avian predator has taken over the empty niche and has learned that it can survive on the abundant local storm petrels that nest here. The day was coming to an end and it was time to return and embark.
As we rode our Zodiacs back to our ship the sun started setting, illuminating the horizon with a beautiful orange light. We tried to remember all of the experiences we had enjoyed during this fantastic week in the Galapagos, but it seemed a difficult task as we were overwhelmed with so many incredible moments. We were sure of one thing, that the magic of the Enchanted Isles would stay with us forever.
