An equatorial sun brightens the island of North Seymour as we land and explore. Land iguanas, frigatebirds, and blue-footed boobies accompany us as we make our way around the island, proving once again that these species are not afraid of us. The crystalline turquoise water surrounds us as we navigate towards Rabida and we are surprised at the bright red coloration of the entire island. Snorkeling brings us in contact with the undersea world, including white-tipped reef sharks, Pacific green sea turtles, diamond sting rays, and an abundance of fish. In the late afternoon, we go for a walk along the coast, observing young sea lions bathing in the last rays of the late afternoon sun.
5/29/2025
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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.
