National Geographic Endeavour II rounds the north of Isabela to reach Fernandina, the westernmost island of the Galapagos and the youngest. Still navigating, we wake up to see the majestic shield volcanoes of these islands all around us. These waters are very rich in life of all kinds, from small creatures to large. Landing on Fernandina is like visiting a zoo where animals are everywhere except that there are no walls or cages. Packs of marine iguanas bask in the sun at every step, and sea lions chill on the sand and rocks. Later, we enjoy more wildlife on Isabela. We take a Zodiac tour to observe the imposing Ecuador Volcano. We celebrate as we cross the equator at the end of another wonderful expedition day.
10/4/2024
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National Geographic Endeavour II
Genovesa Island
With coffee in hand, I stepped out onto the front balcony of the lounge to see what was going on. We had just entered Darwin’s Bay, dropped anchor, and the juvenile red-footed boobies had found the ship and were flying around us on an inspection tour. The rest of the day continued with discoveries of all kinds. An early morning inversion layer (locally known as “garúa”) had fallen and dampened the environment with much desired drops of fresh water, although the chicks of various species didn’t appear terribly pleased in having wet feathers. On our return, the same bedraggled individuals looked smooth, sleek and dry once the sun had come out. The Galapagos National Park has only two sites for visitors, both spectacular, both well worth a slow walk among the palo santo trees to see the great frigatebirds, red-footed boobies, Nazca boobies, Galapagos doves, Darwin’s finches, short-eared owls, and storm petrels. Snorkeling, kayaking, and paddleboarding along the base of the cliffs of Darwin’s Bay followed. There’s nothing quite like this island anywhere in the world.
