On our last full day in the Galapagos, we enjoyed spending time at Santa Fe and San Cristobal Islands. The islands are two of the oldest in the Galapagos, as they sit in the eastern part of the archipelago. All the islands resulted from the activity of a stationary, volcano-producing area in the northwest part of the islands. As extinct volcanos, Santa Fe and San Cristobal Islands are now exposed to the elements. Little by little, they will deteriorate until they return to the ocean.
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.
