Today is our last day in the Galápagos. It has been a wonderful week encountering all kinds of astonishing wildlife. And now Genovesa Island is the great finale: the perfect frosting on the cake.
We disembarked at Darwin Bay, surrounded by tons of sea birds gliding in the sky: red-footed boobies, frigates, swallow-tailed gulls, Nazca boobies, red-billed tropic birds, lava gulls, and more. We could clearly see why Genovesa is known as “Island of the Birds.”
On our relaxing walk along a path on Darwin Bay, we are quiet. The sounds of wildlife all around created a very special moment. Here, as nature guides, we follow the rule, “Less talking, more enjoying.” This includes more observation, too. In the red mangroves, red-footed boobies nest, while, on the ground, large cactus finches and mockingbirds work at finding food to eat.
The morning is chilly but outstanding. We enjoyed learning about the island’s special fauna and floral, like the opuntia cacti that have soft tiny spines because there are no land iguanas or giant tortoises to defend themselves from. Another interesting fact: The owls here are diurnals so they can play the role of top predator in the absence of Galápagos hawks.
After our explorations we came back to our ship, suited up and went snorkeling along the shore to glimpse one more time the amazing marine wildlife of the Galápagos. Others went kayaking along the cliffs in search of a colony of Galápagos fur sea lions found there.
In the afternoon we disembarked at Prince Phillip’s Steps. On our marvelous walk, we saw frigates and Nazca boobies nesting. On many occasions we saw newborn chicks being fed by their parents. At the end of the trail we found four owls, one of them very close to us. After looking for them in a vast lava field of rust-colored lava, a perfect camouflage for the owls, spotting them was our reward.
On the way back, the drizzle wet our faces and refreshed our minds. I was thinking about all the experiences we had this week. Even though the afternoon was overcast and chilly, far on the horizon, the orange light of the sunset decorated the bay. “It seems like a painting,” someone said. With that image on our minds, we ended one more week of expedition onboard the National Geographic Endeavour—my second home, a magical place to be.
