This was the last full day of our Galapagos expedition. We awoke as the ship entered the inside of a sunken caldera. Birds were flying all around the ship. Genovesa Island is a bird paradise; here our guests enjoyed one the most touching moments of the week, an intimate encounter with sea birds. Along the trails, either at Darwin Bay or at Prince Phillip’s Steps, we were walking by male frigatebirds with their gular sacks inflated, and a sense of desperation in their eyes. It is not easy to get a female, and the bigger the gular sack the more chances they have to get one. Competition is fierce as the mating season goes on and many of the females pair off. Soon we had made our way into the nesting grounds of the red-footed boobies. These are such beautiful birds with an incredible contrast of colors—their soft brown feathers, their blue beaks, the pink mask around their beak and, of course, their webbed red feet. Unlike the other varieties of booby, the red-footed boobies mostly nest in trees or bushes instead of on the ground, and we could see them perched all throughout the palo santo trees, oiling their feathers. There is much more to see here, Darwin finches, Galapagos mockingbirds, Nazca boobies, petrels and the short-eared owl.
6/13/2025
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National Geographic Endeavour II
Genovesa Island
We started the day with excitement as we landed on the beautiful, pristine coast of Isla Genovesa - a true birder’s dream. Along the sandy beaches and steep cliffs of Darwin Bay, we were surrounded by an incredible array of birdlife. Frigatebirds soared closely overhead with their red pouches on full display, while Nazca and blue-footed boobies nested along the rocky ledges. Swallow-tailed gulls called out as we walked past. In the distance, we saw the stoic and elusive short-eared owl. The island was alive with color, sound, and constant movement. Between our excursions to Isla Genovesa, we snorkeled near Prince Philip’s Steps and discovered a vibrant world beneath the waves. Schools of fish swirled around us, a fur seal turned in the water as if dancing on cue, and sea lions relaxed nearby. As our last snorkeling adventure came to a close, we spotted a sea turtle resting calmly in a crevice. As the sun retreated into the sky on our last return to National Geographic Endeavor II, we reflected on the sheer magnitude of what we witnessed on our last full day. Isla Genovesa, like the other islands, gave us a connection to a sacred world. The harmony between land, sea, and sky reminded us how deeply interconnected, vital, and fragile these ecosystems are. Watching birds tend to their nests and marine life swim effortlessly, we were struck by how little space there is between wonder and reverence. We recognized that our journey wasn’t just about observing unique wildlife, it was about feeling part of something grander and beautifully ancient.