Today we woke up at Academy Bay, located on the southeast of Santa Cruz Island. Here, we visited the Charles Darwin Research Station, where we learned about the breeding program of endangered giant tortoises. We also got the chance to experience some local flavor with a stop at “El Trapiche,” a sugarcane press operated by one family since the 1960s. In the afternoon, we went to an excursion to the Santa Cruz highlands, where we could observe giant tortoises on their migration route. It was an amazing to see these huge animals up close and in their natural habitat. Before returning to the ship, some guests explored the main town, Puerto Ayora, and came back with souvenirs. Other guests enjoyed an exhibition organized by local artisans in the ship’s Global Gallery.
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.
