Genovesa Island
We awoke to find the Polaris anchored inside a flooded caldera. It was a lovely, cool and breezy, but clear, sunny day. This most perfect weather started off what turned out to be yet another fabulous day in Galápagos. We made a wet landing on the tiny coral beach of Genovesa and found the shores alive with nesting sea birds. The red-footed and Nazca boobies, great frigate birds and swallow-tail gulls all have chicks; both on the morning and the afternoon walk our guests took countless photographs.
It is utterly amazing, and quite delightful, to be able to approach the birds and animals so closely. To be ignored by mating swallow-tail gulls (who copulated 9 times in a row with our Zodiac of guests only a few meters from them!), and accepted as no more frightening than a passing booby or a sea lion to a 2 month old frigate chick sitting on a flimsy nest of twigs waiting for its parent to return and feed it. A sea lion pup bounced up the beach and sniffed our feet and legs, then hurried off in search of his mom. This Nazca booby, nesting right beside the trail, sheltered its two chicks from the hot sun. The Naturalists pointed out that it is unusual to find two large Nazca chicks sharing the nest. Fratricide is the rule with this species of Sulidae: the larger and stronger chick pushes the weaker from the nest. That these two are still both surviving is rare.
We awoke to find the Polaris anchored inside a flooded caldera. It was a lovely, cool and breezy, but clear, sunny day. This most perfect weather started off what turned out to be yet another fabulous day in Galápagos. We made a wet landing on the tiny coral beach of Genovesa and found the shores alive with nesting sea birds. The red-footed and Nazca boobies, great frigate birds and swallow-tail gulls all have chicks; both on the morning and the afternoon walk our guests took countless photographs.
It is utterly amazing, and quite delightful, to be able to approach the birds and animals so closely. To be ignored by mating swallow-tail gulls (who copulated 9 times in a row with our Zodiac of guests only a few meters from them!), and accepted as no more frightening than a passing booby or a sea lion to a 2 month old frigate chick sitting on a flimsy nest of twigs waiting for its parent to return and feed it. A sea lion pup bounced up the beach and sniffed our feet and legs, then hurried off in search of his mom. This Nazca booby, nesting right beside the trail, sheltered its two chicks from the hot sun. The Naturalists pointed out that it is unusual to find two large Nazca chicks sharing the nest. Fratricide is the rule with this species of Sulidae: the larger and stronger chick pushes the weaker from the nest. That these two are still both surviving is rare.
