Floreana Island, which we visited today, forever changed the archipelago when it became the site of the first human settlement from Ecuador. Today we visited the farthest sites, where the human influence has been diminished by the efforts of the National Park Service. We visited three places today: Cormorant Point with its flamingos and nesting turtles, Champion Islet which is the only place where visitors can spot the elusive Floreana mockingbird, and Post Office Bay where we followed an old whaler’s tradition with a postcard delivery system.
5/1/2025
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National Geographic Gemini
Genovesa Island
At sunrise we entered Darwin’s Bay, Genovesa, one of the most pristine islands of the Galapagos Archipelago. Genovesa is one massive seabird colony. It has been dubbed “bird island” or even “Hitchcock Island” and is home to the largest population of red-footed boobies. In the morning, we visited Prince Phillip’s Steps, named after the late Duke of Edinburgh, for many years the patron of the Charles Darwin Foundation and a keen ornithologist. Here, we walked through a forest of the peculiar palo santo or incense trees and amongst Nazca boobies, quite abundant here too. Darwin’s Bay beach trail is a real jewel. We followed the sandy trail that is bordered by mangrove trees and salt bushes, from which red-footed boobies, frigatebirds, and Nazca boobies observed us to pass their time. Spending hours in such an isolated place where creatures do not fear the sight of humans is quite touching, and it makes one realize how much we need to continue caring for this wonderful planet of ours.
