Today we disembarked in the north part of Santa Cruz Island and boarded a bus to visit the highlands and search for Santa Cruz giant tortoises. This morning was special because we observed these reptiles in their natural environment. Guests enjoyed great opportunities to practice photography skills on one of the most iconic reptiles found on these islands. We enjoyed amazing talks about the natural history of giant tortoises in the Galapagos Islands, and their role as ecosystem engineers. We ended the first part of our day with a delicious lunch at “El Manzanillo,” a farm owned by a local family. In the afternoon, we had the chance to enjoy the beach at Bowditch Bay. Some guests had a pleasurable time walking the sandy beach while others went swimming and snorkeling along the rocky shore. There, they observed whitetip reef sharks and green sea turtles.
5/29/2025
Read
National Geographic Gemini
Genovesa Island
Genovesa is considered one of the Galapagos crown jewels, and today it was showing off all of its splendor. Immediately after breakfast we put on our sturdy shoes and set out to explore Prince Philip’s Steps. This area is known for opportunities to observe not only large colonies of nesting Nazca and red-footed boobies, but maybe, just maybe, the short-eared owl which exhibits diurnal behavior on this island. After this walk we got ready for a dip in the Pacific Ocean and snorkeling along the inner coast of this caldera. The afternoon was equally amazing as we disembarked to explore Darwin Bay, along a short and easy trail that was packed with wildlife. Here we observed not only nesting frigatebirds, red-footed boobies, and Nazca boobies, but also a few yellow-crowned night herons. It was another incredible afternoon in the Galapagos Islands.
