Today we explored one of the jewels of the Galapagos, Genovesa Island. Exploring Prince Philip’s Steps before breakfast was key in order to avoid the heat of the day. We observed hundreds of seabirds, and we even spotted the rare diurnal short-eared owl. In the afternoon we explored the island by kayaking and visited Darwin Bay beach, where we found sea lions and many seabirds nesting.
- Daily Expedition Reports
- 09 Mar 2025
Darwin Bay, Genovesa Island, 3/9/2025, National Geographic Delfina
- Aboard the National Geographic Delfina
- Galápagos
Javier Carrion, Naturalist
Javier grew up on Santa Cruz island where his grandparents first arrived in the 1940´s. Veritable pioneers, his grandparents settled in the highlands where they found a place to raise their children.
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Today we anchored in Academy Bay on Santa Cruz Island. During the first part of the morning, we went to Fausto Llerena Giant Tortoises Breeding Center. This is where some species of giant tortoises are bred in captivity. After walking through the center and observing young and adult tortoises, we enjoyed exploring the largest town in Galapagos. We had lunch at a charming local restaurant, and from there we went to the highlands where we had a great time observing wild giant tortoises in their natural habitat. This afternoon we found several tortoises feeding, while others were enjoying a great volcanic mud bath.
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Isabela Island
We spent the entire morning and part of the afternoon exploring Sierra Negra, specifically the sulfur mine area in the southwestern corner inside the caldera. The caldera is considered one of the largest in the world. It was an adventurous ride up the flank of the volcano in a local chiva (open-sided bus used all over Ecuador in rural areas). Then we walked, one way two kilometers, which included a descent of 320 feet, then an ascent to the sulfur fumaroles of another 200 feet. On return, we did it all again!