Our expedition started today with one of the most important visits of the week. We visited the Charles Darwin Station, and we learned about some of the projects that they are running these days to support the ecology, flora, and fauna of the islands. One of the most famous projects is the Giant Tortoise Breeding Center. Here is where the baby giant tortoises are born in captivity and after 5-7 years at the center, they are repatriated to their home island. With the right support, we are trying to recover the population of those species in the Galapagos Islands. Some guests decided to donate and support those projects, and in return, as a present for their donation, they chose an item like a hat, t-shirt, jacket, water bottle, or a book. We felt that it was a win-win situation.
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.
