Today, we had the opportunity to explore the north western region of the Galapagos archipelago. A group of early raisers went kayaking along the cliffs of Genovesa Island’s caldera to observe the morning activities of the birds. And after a delicious breakfast, we landed at the beach of Darwin Bay, where we were welcomed by a sleepy sea lion. Surprisingly quite a few of the great frigatebird males that we encountered had decided to inflate their beautiful red pouches in order to attract a female. Usually this happens a few months later in the year, so we were surprised and excited to have the chance to see this remarkable behavior. We were also able to observe three of the four finch species that occur on Genovesa: the large ground finch, the large cactus finch and the sharp-beaked ground finch, which is also known as the vampire finch. In the tidal pools, we observed a little diamond stingray checking out the area. After our walk, we went for a snorkeling excursion, where we came upon a large school of Golden Cowrays. A curious and friendly fur seal checked us out as well, and looped around in the rather turbulent waters.
On the way over to Prince Philip Steps in the afternoon, we found some beautiful fur seals on the rocks and in little caves. After climbing the staircase, we found ourselves surrounded by courting Nazca boobies and great frigatebirds. In the distance, we spotted a short-eared owl, a top predator of the Galapagos, and the main threat to the thousands of storm petrels that nest on Genovesa. This island is definitely a highlight of the Galapagos Islands, and with the last light of the day, the ship left the caldera and headed towards Baltra.
