Early in the morning we reached Santa Cruz Island, which is not only the second biggest island in the Galapagos but also the most populated, with something like 20,000 inhabitants. Some own farms, and today we visited Manzanillo Ranch, where giant tortoises move freely in the highland territory. Surrounded by green vegetation, this area is the perfect spot for these gigantic reptiles. They enjoy roaming, resting, and taking muddy baths unbothered by the presence of humans.
5/29/2025
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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.
