Today’s exploration, our last of the week, took place on a small island in the right-hand corner of the Galapagos Archipelago, Genovesa Island. This island is home to many species of birds, including the red-footed and Nazca boobies, frigate birds, storm petrels, short-eared owls and four species of finches, including the large ground finch, the sharp-beaked ground finch, the cactus finch and the warbler finch. Today we started the morning with an early kayak outing along the edges of Genovesa for some bird watching, followed by a beautiful hike on the island after going up 82 feet along Prince Phillip’s Steps. The beauty of this island as you get to the top of the stairs is overwhelming; Nazca and red-footed boobies welcome you just 6 feet apart. Along the trail, close encounters continued in this breathtaking landscaping. After some snorkeling to look for Moorish idols and some more kayaking and paddle boarding, we visited Darwin Bay where more sea birds welcomed us on the beautiful, white coral beach. A fantastic day to end a very special expedition, an expedition in the Galapagos Islands.
- Daily Expedition Reports
- 10 Nov 2017
Genovesa Island, 11/10/2017, National Geographic Endeavour II
- Aboard the National Geographic Endeavour II
- Galápagos
Gianna Haro, Naturalist
Most of Gianna´s memories seem to be dreams, made on flawless white sandy beaches with black lava rock contours and gorgeous turquoise ocean waters. Most of it happened while barefoot, in an enchanting place that some people regard as an ideal natura...
Read MoreMark Clement, Video Chronicler
Mark Clement grew up in the foothills of the Adirondack Mountains in Upstate New York, where he developed a deep appreciation for wild places at a young age. Now living in the Green Mountains of Vermont, he has made a career out of capturing the beau...
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Galápagos Aboard National Geographic Endeavour II
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Today, National Geographic Endeavour II visited Cerro Dragon, located on the north part of Santa Cruz Island. We found one of the largest colonies of land iguanas. During our hike, we spotted the iguanas all around the trail. Some basked on the vegetation, and others were active. We saw the zigzag head movement they use to protect their territory and impress females. An Ecuadorian buffet lunch was set up in the dining room. We started with the traditional ceviche and ended with tres leches for dessert! We enjoyed snorkeling and Zodiac rides. We observed wildlife all over the place, including spotted eagle rays, sharks, blue-footed boobies, great blue herons, marine iguanas, and hundreds of other animals. They all reminded us why the Galapagos is so special.