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.
4/30/2025
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National Geographic Gemini
Santa Cruz Island
Early in the morning we awoke to the view of green palo santo trees marching up the hill from Santa Cruz and Baltra Islands. After breakfast we took buses to go on an exploration of the Giant Tortoise Breeding Center in Puerto Ayora. At the breeding center, we spotted several species of giant tortoises and learned about the projects currently happening to restore the dynasty of these giant endemic reptiles of the Galapagos. Later, we enjoyed lunch at a waterfront restaurant and continued our exploration in the highlands of Santa Cruz to visit the giant tortoises in their natural habitat. We spotted several male tortoises and a few females. We had great opportunities for photography at this location. After the visit to the giant tortoise ranch known as El Manzanillo, we ventured to an area with twin pit craters and then made our way back to National Geographic Gemini for evening recap.