Today we encountered civilization for the first time in many days. It is great to learn about the conservation efforts in place to preserve this unique archipelago, and the best example is my home island, Santa Cruz. We visited the giant tortoise breeding center in the morning. Our guests enjoyed seeing the baby giant tortoises from different islands. Afterwards there was time to wander around the cozy town of Puerto Ayora. We boarded buses at the meeting point and headed towards the highlands. An amazing visit to a local farm was included, where we observed the cultivation and processing of brown sugar, coffee and sugar cane alcohol. The afternoon was spent at a giant tortoise natural reserve. It is amazing to walk among the emblematic animals of the archipelago, which gave the name to the islands—Galapagos means tortoise.
There is magic in every single visit, Galapagos is an unforgettable experience!
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.
