This was our last day of an amazing Expedition. We spent the day at the northern island of Genovesa. This is a seabird sanctuary, millions of birds chose Genovesa as their home. It is situated on the northern hemisphere, a small island, a highlight, a dream come true. In the morning we visited Darwin bay, a perfect place to see the red footed boobies very close. The great frigate birds are found here too and the males are found perched on the bushes and trees, inflating their red gular sack in order to find a female, quite a job! The last opportunity for snorkeling was fantastic! I was fortunate to go snorkeling along the cliffs, the water was warm and calm, besides the large schools of colorful fish, we saw hammerhead sharks very close! In the afternoon, our guests were able to paddle board in the protected sunken caldera of Genovesa, a great adventure with gorgeous views and rich in wildlife. This is a fun activity! The day was not over yet, as the last walk at Prince Phillip’s steps is an unforgettable experience. We walked up to the Plateau, where we saw Nazca boobies nesting, red footed boobies and great frigate birds, the birds are so close, it is just unbelievable.
5/29/2025
Read
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.