We navigated most of the night to reach the northern island of Genovesa or Tower. Just before dawn Captain Pablo Garces carefully took the National Geographic Islander over the shallow rim of the submerged and flooded caldera of Genovesa and anchored the ship near the cliffs at the northern side of the bay. A group of eager, early riser kayakers set off with Salvador at 0615 and paddled at the base of the cliffs among soaring, feeding, and roosting seabirds of a half-dozen species. They were delighted to see all that they had hoped to see: fur seals, red-footed boobies, red balloon pouched frigatebirds and, unexpectedly, a short-eared owl that flew above them! Genovesa is known as “Bird Island” and is home to over a half million birds!
After a delicious buffet breakfast we landed on a lovely white sand beach and set off for a choice of two walk options: an easy one along the sandy beach margin of the shore or the beach margin plus an extension on very rough lava field to a lookout across the bay. These walk were amazing! There were seabirds nesting and resting everywhere—the elegant nocturnal swallow tailed gulls and Nazca boobies were on the ground, in the sand and between the lava rocks, the red-footed boobies and great frigatebirds had nests in the salt bushes and mangrove trees. Baby boobies at all stages of development were seen: fluffy white chicks, funny-looking young birds that were sprouting feathers between their down, and juvenile birds flapping and strengthening their wings as they prepare to take flight. Some frigates were already incubating eggs while other lone males spread their wings, fluttered and cooed, with their red pouches extended as they tried to attract a mate.
After the walks three Zodiacs of snorkelers went out to swim at the base of the western cliffs in Darwin Bay. Many of the snorkelers saw a hammerhead shark! There were dozens of big parrotfish and the water temps were wonderfully warm. I stayed on the beach with the birds and those who just wanted to swim and snorkel from the beach, and we were all back on board by noon.
The afternoon had begun to cool off some, by the time we disembarked at Prince Phillip’s Steps on the eastern point of Genovesa. We climbed some rough stairs of lava and cement, hiked through a Nazca booby colony, into a palo santo forest, and then out along a reddish lava field where we searched for—and found!—two-short eared owls.
From the Zodiacs on our way going out from or back to the ship, we found a small colony of fur seals hiding in the lava rocks and caves. The naturalists explained that they are in the sea lion family, they are eared seals, and that they were once hunted for their thick fur coats. Beautiful red-billed tropicbirds were flying, with their two-foot-long tails streaming behind them, in and out of their nests on the cliff faces.
As the sun set in a blaze of orange we returned to the ship with smiles of contentment on all our faces. This week we have seen fearless wildlife and dramatic landscapes, and we have enjoyed the comradery of our fellow guests. This has been an unforgettable week in the magical Islas Encantadas!
