Today was our last day in the western realm, and we started our expedition at one of my favorite visitors’ sites, Urbina Bay. Alcedo giant tortoises nest here, and we got to see many females and juveniles during our hike. It was a precious moment that many of our guests will cherish forever. After the hike, we had the privilege of hearing Dr. Sylvia Earl speak about, “What Darwin Didn’t See in the Galapagos.” In the afternoon, we continued our adventure in the ocean while swimming with penguins and sea turtles. It was an honor to share this ocean with Dr. Sylvia. Our day ended at the top of Darwin Lake with a breathtaking view of Fernandina Island and a heartwarming sunset!
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.
