As we began the first full day of our Galapagos adventure, we awoke to Galapagos sharks swimming alongside our floating home for the week, the National Geographic Endeavour II. A deep blue sky and sea welcomed us as we headed out in Zodiacs to land at North Seymour. Our hike around this tiny island led us to encounter an amazing plethora of wildlife. Afterwards we headed back to the ship for lunch, while a short navigation brought us to Rabida Island in the afternoon. It’s distinctive dark red coloring is a departure from the landscapes that we have experienced so far. Already we were experiencing the incredible diversity of this archipelago. After a long hike over this unique terrain, we headed back to the shore to take our Zodiacs back to the ship. The sun dipped behind the horizon, creating a beautiful array of colors through the sky. More adventures await us tomorrow, as our exploration continues.
10/4/2024
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National Geographic Endeavour II
Genovesa Island
With coffee in hand, I stepped out onto the front balcony of the lounge to see what was going on. We had just entered Darwin’s Bay, dropped anchor, and the juvenile red-footed boobies had found the ship and were flying around us on an inspection tour. The rest of the day continued with discoveries of all kinds. An early morning inversion layer (locally known as “garúa”) had fallen and dampened the environment with much desired drops of fresh water, although the chicks of various species didn’t appear terribly pleased in having wet feathers. On our return, the same bedraggled individuals looked smooth, sleek and dry once the sun had come out. The Galapagos National Park has only two sites for visitors, both spectacular, both well worth a slow walk among the palo santo trees to see the great frigatebirds, red-footed boobies, Nazca boobies, Galapagos doves, Darwin’s finches, short-eared owls, and storm petrels. Snorkeling, kayaking, and paddleboarding along the base of the cliffs of Darwin’s Bay followed. There’s nothing quite like this island anywhere in the world.
