This morning we woke up in the northern region of the Galapagos Marine Reserve at Genovesa Island. Genovesa forms a crescent shape, with part of the volcanic crater having sunken into the sea long ago. This island is a magnet for seabirds, including the red-footed booby. This was our first opportunity to see the red-footed boobies because they are restricted to two large colonies in the Galapagos, one of which is located on Genovesa Island. The red-footed booby chooses to inhabit two sites in the Galapagos where the Galapagos hawk is absent; without our apex terrestrial predator present, the hatchlings of these boobies are less likely to be preyed upon.
3/27/2024
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National Geographic Endeavour II
Santiago Island
We are having fun exploring the Galapagos Islands. Today we arrived at the center of the archipelago to explore two magical visitor sites, Buccaneer Cove and Puerto Egas. Early in the morning we explored the shoreline in our Zodiacs and we saw many marine turtles mating and blue-footed boobies diving or resting on the rocks. We also saw frigates, pelicans, terns, and more. After breakfast some of our guests went kayaking for a closer encounter with nature. The snorkeling was also spectacular. We saw three different types of sharks, including a hammerhead. We found a school of eagle rays, a wide variety of multicolor reef fish, and a zebra moray. In the afternoon we explored the coastal line of Puerto Egas. This destination is full of wildlife and along our walk we saw red neck lava lizards, finches, land iguanas, mockingbirds, and hawks. At the intertidal zone we found sea lions, and many migratory birds such as plovers, whimbrels, and ruddy turnstones. We had an amazing day!