The first outcrop of rock spotted by the crew of the HMS Beagle on the 15th of September 1835 was Punta Pitt, located in the northeastern tip of San Cristóbal Island. Stunning tuff rock walls rise from the sea, and the little vegetation that manages to grow here hosts seabirds like the red-footed boobies and frigatebirds. Cerro Brujo, further south, is a white-coralline wide beach, the icing of the cake to a fantastic, unforgettable week in the Enchanted Isles.
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.
