National Geographic Endeavour II navigated to the northeastern corner of the archipelago on our final full day of our expedition in the Galápagos Islands. Early in the morning, we woke up inside the caldera of Genovesa, known as bird island. After breakfast, we started off with a visit to Darwin Bay, which was full of the red-footed boobies. In fact, this area is home to a large population of 200,000.
The morning ended with a phenomenal snorkel as we swam amid colorful fish as well as Galapagos sea lions and harmless sharks. Some guests took the opportunity to kayak in the bay, looking for wildlife. After lunch we went for a second round of kayaking where we photographed sea lions resting on rocks.
In the afternoon, we headed to Prince Phillip’s Steps, where we walked through forests of incense trees and yellow cordia to a lava field. Along the way, we spotted Galapagos mockingbirds, endemic Nazca boobies with their chicks, and many frigate birds. Some of us used the opportunity to look for the island’s top predator, the short-eared owl.
We ended our walk as the sun was setting, and we returned with these great memories to the ship. A perfect way to end this fantastic journey in Ecuador!
