Today is our last day full day in the Galápagos Archipelago, but it is not over yet! Today we visit Genovesa Island, the jewel in the crown. To get here we had to cross the equator line! This island is well renowned for its colossal colonies of sea birds, especially red-footed boobies.
As we disembarked we met a beautiful coralline beach and lots of wildlife: red-footed boobies, Nazca boobies, yellow crowned herons, swallow-tailed gulls, and sea lions. The walk took us to an old viewpoint where a plaque reminded us of the sorrow and grief of two divers that disappeared in the depths of Darwin Bay. After we returned to the beach we separated in two groups, the ones ready to stay in these paradise-like sands, and those ready for the shark challenge. Back on board we prepared our snorkeling gear to go for a deep water snorkel along the cliff of Darwin Bay. Galapagos sharks are common over there, and some of us had the thrill of seeing them! Golden rays and tropical fish were also filmed for by our underwater specialist.
In the afternoon, we went to explore the impressive cliff of Darwin Bay which is full of sea birds, red-billed tropic birds, fur sea lions basking on the rocks, storm petrels soaring away, and marine iguanas swimming in the water. Soon after we disembarked on Prince Phillip’s Steps, another visitor site at the east side of the bay. There we enjoyed sea birds mating, flocks of Nazca boobies nesting, little chicks being fed, and red-footed boobies building their nests. We just felt “invisible” among the residents of this unique world, during our last day in paradise.
