Genovesa Island
Early this morning, before the heat began, the kayakers set out to the far side of Darwin’s Bay, and paddled quietly back along the base of the cliffs that rise above the water to around 100 feet, but below the water to who knows what depths.
By the time we all left the ship after breakfast, the heat was already getting intense, but that didn’t seem to affect the birdlife on shore. Red-footed boobies, great frigate birds, swallow-tailed gulls, Nazca boobies, Galápagos mockingbirds, Galápagos doves—all were out and about proceeding with the duties of life on an island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.
At this time of year, the frigates are starting their courtship season, and males with large red pouches filled the spaces among green bushes and trees with colorful points to focus on. The endemic cactus, Opuntia helleri was in full flower as well.
However after a couple of hours, everyone was ready to get wet in the delicious temperatures of the sea (around 84° Fahrenheit!).
So we did. Get wet. In the shark-infested waters of Darwin’s Bay. At least we hoped for sharks, and in particular hammerhead sharks. Sharks are becoming so rare these days around the world that Galápagos is one of the few refuges left. We can only hope mankind comes to their senses before the global destruction their removal will cause, becomes reality.
Only a few of us spotted hammerhead sharks during the snorkel. The visibility was limited because of the nutrient-rich up-welling beginning to happen around the archipelago, so after a little while, we moved over to a new area that was calmer, and found ourselves snorkeling with fur seals! Delightful, and very special. Normally these shy creatures keep their distance from us humans. In our case at least, one individual kept with us for a long time, gazing with equal curiosity at us, clumsy swimmers as we are.
The afternoon was a hoot because I decided to launch a kayak regatta competition: guests against crew with one mixed double composed of our chief engineer Carlos Lalama and Exclusive Resort guest Janet Hurley…and they won! Since our crew get very few opportunities to use the kayaks, never mind race, to even the field no one used the rudders. What Chaos! What collisions! What laughter! Two capsizes (one before the race began, and one after the race finished)! It was hilarious and refreshing to do something totally outrageous together.
The rest of the afternoon was divided among some who went walking at Prince Philip’s Steps—an awesome site on the island where frigates, boobies, storm-petrels, and sometime owls are seen living out their fierce lifestyles, battling for food, nesting sites, and plain survival. Superficially it often looks as if all are having a wonderful day of it, soaring the winds and spiraling up and down seemingly at whim. In reality, it is always a search for food.
Others chose to kayak in the cooling afternoon temperatures, and several times we had the dorsal fins of sharks appear between kayaks! As the walkers returned, the flat water made it easy to spot a manta ray as the tips of its wings broke the surface. On approach, the entire body was visible—larger than the Zodiac was wide!
All finally returned to the ship, also in search of food and comfort. Showered, changed when it got dark we made our way to the bow of the ship where the stars glowed in the heavens above and reflected in the water below…an unforgettable ending to a once-in-lifetime expedition to the Galápagos archipelago.
