Genovesa Island
This small island located in the northeastern part of the archipelago is a wonderful place to visit. Hundreds of thousands of birds call this island their home. You can see from the picture that the density and abundance of birds is overwhelming.
We spent the entire day exploring the island. In the morning we visited Darwin Bay, a very small area located right behind a white coralline beach. This is a fascinating place to visit at this time of the year. It looks like a big nursery, for we can see chicks of different sizes species everywhere. We enjoyed observing many bird species at a very close range. The beautiful swallow tailed gulls, the colorful red-footed boobies, and the majestic great frigate birds were among the favorites. All the birds were very busy either flying in the sky or rearing their chicks. Some few small land birds like finches and mockingbirds were admired as well.
We started the afternoon activities with a Zodiac ride along the cliffs of the huge submerged caldera of the island. Red-billed tropicbirds were seen flying swiftly while cruising the caldera. Their characteristic loud and beautiful call, often referred as a “referee whistle” was filling the atmosphere. After disembarking we walked through a “Palo Santo” (incense trees) forest. We also had the pleasure of visiting a very big colony of Nazca boobies. The day finally came to an end with the satisfaction that only a paradise like Genovesa Island can evoke in our minds and spirits.
This small island located in the northeastern part of the archipelago is a wonderful place to visit. Hundreds of thousands of birds call this island their home. You can see from the picture that the density and abundance of birds is overwhelming.
We spent the entire day exploring the island. In the morning we visited Darwin Bay, a very small area located right behind a white coralline beach. This is a fascinating place to visit at this time of the year. It looks like a big nursery, for we can see chicks of different sizes species everywhere. We enjoyed observing many bird species at a very close range. The beautiful swallow tailed gulls, the colorful red-footed boobies, and the majestic great frigate birds were among the favorites. All the birds were very busy either flying in the sky or rearing their chicks. Some few small land birds like finches and mockingbirds were admired as well.
We started the afternoon activities with a Zodiac ride along the cliffs of the huge submerged caldera of the island. Red-billed tropicbirds were seen flying swiftly while cruising the caldera. Their characteristic loud and beautiful call, often referred as a “referee whistle” was filling the atmosphere. After disembarking we walked through a “Palo Santo” (incense trees) forest. We also had the pleasure of visiting a very big colony of Nazca boobies. The day finally came to an end with the satisfaction that only a paradise like Genovesa Island can evoke in our minds and spirits.
