Santa Cruz Island, 6/19/2015, National Geographic Islander
Aboard the
National Geographic Islander
Galápagos
This morning The National Geographic Islander anchored at Academy Bay off Santa Cruz Island. In the morning we explored the Charles Darwin Research Station in Puerto Ayora. Here, we had a great time visiting the giant tortoise breeding center and we also visited some giant tortoises that currently are part of research programs.
This visit was an opportunity to learn about the different strategies of the conservation work carried out by the Galapagos National Park Service and the Charles Darwin Research Station. As we visited this area we also visited some of the tortoises at the breeding center. These animals are tiny babies born here as part of the restoration programs
In the late morning we boarded buses to explore the green forest of Santa Cruz. Here in the highlands the highlights are the Galápagos giant tortoises. These large reptiles have thrived since conservation work started. Today we have more than five thousand of them roaming all over this vast green forest.
Juan Carlos was born in Quito, Ecuador. He spent part of his elementary schooling in the province of Cotopaxi, a beautiful area in the Ecuadorian Andes ringed by volcanoes. In 1989 his family moved to the Galápagos and settled in the highlands of San...
It’s our first full day of expedition on National Geographic Islander . We started our day with a morning hike on North Seymour, which is one of the best islands to observe nesting colonies of frigatebirds, blue-footed boobies, swallow-tailed gulls, and many more species of marine birds. Later in the morning, National Geographic Islander navigated to the beautiful Rabida Island, where we enjoyed an amazing afternoon. Guests swam and snorkeled with sea lions and many different species of reef fish off the red sand beach. We walked to a pond located behind the beach and observed flamingos nesting after more than 20 years on this island.
Today we spent the last day of our expedition at the island of Genovesa. It took us several hours of navigation to reach the island, which is located in the northern hemisphere and is home for more than a million birds! In the morning, we went out to explore Darwin Bay. We had an easy landing on a white sand beach covered by pieces of white coral. No matter where we looked, we spotted birds everywhere. Indeed, Genovesa Island holds the largest colony of red-footed boobies on Earth. More than 200,000 red-footed boobies are found here. These birds are so beautiful. They have a gorgeous blue beak with a pink mask and a black outline beneath their beaks. Red-footed boobies nest on bushes and trees. Their call is very distinctive and loud, and males and females are alike. During our easy stroll at Darwin’s Bay, our guests were lucky as they witnessed a swallow-tailed gull emerge from its shell. It was a miracle and a wonder of nature. I was fortunate to go kayaking with our guests inside of the protected caldera of Genovesa Island, and we enjoyed our last opportunity for deep water snorkeling. The waters are warmer here, and there are many colorful fish to observe. In the afternoon, we went to Prince Phillip’s Steps. After climbing the uneven steps, we reached the plateau and went to look for the elusive short-eared owl. We were very lucky, as we spotted two owls right by the trail. This is the best time of year for the owls. The storm petrels are nesting, and there is plenty of food for the owls. We went back onboard with feelings of amazement and gratitude. Galapagos is like the Garden of Eden. Humans encounter nature, and animals are not afraid of us. Those are the gifts that we keep for the rest of our lives!
We woke up early in the morning as National Geographic Islander navigated along the northern part of Isabela Island. Slowly the sun appeared above the clouds surrounding Volcano Wolf. We spotted our first birds as Galapagos fur seals returned to shore from their night hunt. We enjoyed a great breakfast. Afterward, expedition leader Vanessa called everyone to the bow to celebrate as we crossed the equator. Our guests happily crossed the line. Approaching Punta Vicente Roca, the visitor site, we spotted Galapagos sea lions and a good number of ocean sunfish. The first activity of the day took place as we dropped anchor at Punta Vicente Roca. This is a spectacular geological site. The combination of the former volcano’s tall cliffs and the tuff cones formed later adds an amazing contrast to this unique visitor site. Our best tools for exploration, our Zodiacs, were lowered down, and off we went to explore the coast. We observed Nazca boobies and blue-footed boobies resting on the small ledges of the tuff cones. Galapagos sea lions swam close to our Zodiac, and Galapagos penguins rested on a broken piece of the tuff cone after feeding. What a wonderful sight! In a calm area, we found a good number of Pacific green sea turtles. The morning’s activities ended with snorkeling. Pacific green sea turtles, plenty of colorful fish, Galapagos marine iguanas and flightless cormorants surrounded us. It was a phenomenal experience! The ship was repositioned toward Fernandina Island. The youngest island of the archipelago, Fernandina is a highlight of our expedition. This island shows our guests the beginning of life. We observed animals thriving in the hostile environment. Pioneer plants like lava cacti grow on the lava fields, breaking down rocks little by little to create soil for the next generation of plants. Punta Espinoza is known for its huge colony of Galapagos marine iguanas. It is hard to distinguish the iguanas from rocks since they are so dark in color. On the other hand, colorful Sally Lightfoot crabs added contrast to the young, dark lava fields. We ended our walk as the sun was setting, returning to the ship with great memories. It was a fantastic day in the western part of the archipelago.
