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Daily Expedition
Reports
26 Jul 2024
Genovesa Island, 7/26/2024, National Geographic Endeavour II
Aboard the
National Geographic Endeavour II
Galápagos
We had an amazing last full day on Genovesa Island. Here, invasive species have not arrived. Seabirds are in their paradise, and so were we. We explored the island by hiking, kayaking, and snorkeling. Everywhere we went, seabirds were nesting nearby. We saw chicks in every single stage, from birth to some that were learning to fly.
During one of the hikes, we observed a Galapagos short-eared owl hunting storm petrels. It was exceptional to see nature in action just in front of us.
Ixora was born in the Galapagos Islands, back when the streets were made of sand and gravel. Void of TV and tablets, her childhood friends and pristine natural surroundings made for an inspiring upbringing. She was always drawn to the ocean and her l...
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Each day on this journey brings us to a drastically different island environment and Santiago is no exception. Buccaneer Cove, a historically significant area for past visitors, including Charles Darwin, allows for incredible exploration of the coastal area in kayaks as we start our day. Since it is a newer island in the archipelago, the volcanic landscape is prominent. Exploration of the undersea environment brings us numerous species of colorful reef fish and sea lions. Puerto Egas in the afternoon allows a hike along the coast, seeing remnants of a human population that lived here up until the early 1960’s. Galapagos fur seals lounge along the coast as numerous ruddy turnstones, semipalmated plovers, and American oystercatchers roam the coast in the late afternoon for their daily sustenance.
Every day, this magical archipelago is enthralling and brings joy and amazement to our lives. Today was not the exception, for we started this day with a spectacular sighting! A huge humpback whale was spotted with her baby at close range from the ship, just within a few minutes after we anchored in front of Urbina Bay. A glorious early sunrise and its golden reflections were the perfect setting for observing the whale and baby floating placidly at the surface. Suddenly, both jumped out of the water, breaching very high in the air, making a huge splash around them. The whales performed this amazing natural show twice, each time leaping three times in a row. This spectacular sighting mesmerized us! Later on, after breakfast, we went for a walk and observed Galapagos land iguanas and Alcedo Volcano giant tortoises. In the afternoon, we went to Tagus Cove. We had plenty of choices with kayaking, snorkeling, Zodiac rides, and a hike. What an unforgettable day in paradise!
Our day started with a beautiful sunrise as we sailed along the channel in between Fernandina and Isabela Islands. Our first visit took place on Fernandina, the youngest island of the archipelago, where we hiked through the nesting grounds of the marine iguanas and had a chance to witness their diving skills and their interesting daily habits as the only seagoing lizard in the world. We also found flightless cormorants nesting on the shore, building their nests and courting alongside Galapagos penguins! In the afternoon we explored the shoreline of Isabela’s northern side. Punta Vicente Roca is a spectacular place full of marine birds and Pacific sunfish! Our day ended with wine tasting as we crossed the equator line on board National Geographic Endeavour II .
