Today is the last day of our expedition in the Galapagos Islands aboard National Geographic Endeavour II. We visited Genovesa Island, also known as Bird Island. Here we find the largest nesting colony of red-footed boobies. Throughout the morning and afternoon, we enjoyed great walks and observed different species of nesting seabirds from a close distance. After that, conditions for kayaking and snorkeling were optimal. We enjoyed a full and fantastic final day in this amazing archipelago.
4/30/2025
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National Geographic Gemini
Santa Cruz Island
Early in the morning we awoke to the view of green palo santo trees marching up the hill from Santa Cruz and Baltra Islands. After breakfast we took buses to go on an exploration of the Giant Tortoise Breeding Center in Puerto Ayora. At the breeding center, we spotted several species of giant tortoises and learned about the projects currently happening to restore the dynasty of these giant endemic reptiles of the Galapagos. Later, we enjoyed lunch at a waterfront restaurant and continued our exploration in the highlands of Santa Cruz to visit the giant tortoises in their natural habitat. We spotted several male tortoises and a few females. We had great opportunities for photography at this location. After the visit to the giant tortoise ranch known as El Manzanillo, we ventured to an area with twin pit craters and then made our way back to National Geographic Gemini for evening recap.
