What a wonderful way to start the year in the westernmost region of the Galapagos. This area is right on top of the hotspot, and Fernandina is the youngest island in the archipelago. The geology and the wildlife are unique. We navigated here to see the popular Galapagos penguin, flightless cormorants, and the huge marine iguana colonies. We took a hike at Punta Espinoza in the morning, followed by snorkeling. In the afternoon, we took a Zodiac tour at a visitors’ spot known as Punta Vicente Roca. We closed the day with a wine tasting on the sky deck during a stunning sunset.
10/4/2024
Read
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.
