Espanola is the most southeastern island of the archipelago. It is the oldest island in the archipelago, slowly but surely losing the battle against the elements after drifting over two hundred kilometers from its birthplace on top of the Nazca plate, effectively losing all influence of the Galapagos Hotspot, the life force that fuels most volcanic activity in this group of islands. Despite being presently only a fraction of its original size, it is still home to a vast numbers of sea birds. Most notably, the largest bird in the Galapagos, the waved albatross, breeds only on this particular island and nowhere else on earth. The island is also home to a species of mockingbird and lava lizard, both endemic not only to the archipelago but specific to Espanola. We explored the northeastern end of the island at Gardner Bay during the morning, and the western end at Suarez Point during the afternoon.
9/20/2024
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National Geographic Endeavour II
Genovesa Island
Today is our last full day in the Galapagos. We are now located above the equator in the northern hemisphere. This is Genovesa Island, a pristine island with more than one million seabirds and home to the red-footed booby and much, much more. In the morning, we landed at a white coralline beach for our last walk among swallow-tailed gulls, red-footed boobies, frigatebirds, sea lions, and the world-famous Darwin finches. Then, we went snorkeling and kayaking along the shoreline. Back onboard for an impressive Ecuadorian lunch, the best culinary cuisine is prepared by our chefs. In the afternoon, we disembark searching for many seabirds like frigate birds and Nazca boobies, but the highlight was finding very illusive short-eared owls. We were lucky to find them. This expedition was also special because we had four new soon-to-be naturalists in training, and we wish them well. Back onboard for our Captain's farewell cocktail and final dinner.