Genovesa Island’s location in the northern hemisphere gave us the opportunity to cross the equator line twice in one week. The natural history of this island is very interesting. Because Galapagos hawks never colonized this island, short-eared owls are the top predators. This island also lacks terrestrial reptiles. The only reptile present is the marine iguana, which is smaller here than elsewhere in the archipelago. That may be the reason why the prickly pear cactus never evolved sharp spines here. Galapagos is truly a unique place on our planet.
3/27/2024
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National Geographic Endeavour II
Santiago Island
We are having fun exploring the Galapagos Islands. Today we arrived at the center of the archipelago to explore two magical visitor sites, Buccaneer Cove and Puerto Egas. Early in the morning we explored the shoreline in our Zodiacs and we saw many marine turtles mating and blue-footed boobies diving or resting on the rocks. We also saw frigates, pelicans, terns, and more. After breakfast some of our guests went kayaking for a closer encounter with nature. The snorkeling was also spectacular. We saw three different types of sharks, including a hammerhead. We found a school of eagle rays, a wide variety of multicolor reef fish, and a zebra moray. In the afternoon we explored the coastal line of Puerto Egas. This destination is full of wildlife and along our walk we saw red neck lava lizards, finches, land iguanas, mockingbirds, and hawks. At the intertidal zone we found sea lions, and many migratory birds such as plovers, whimbrels, and ruddy turnstones. We had an amazing day!