Today was a very special day for all mothers aboard the National Geographic Endeavour II, they were fortunate to spend Mother’s Day on a special place, the Galapagos Islands. We started with an early photographic expedition on North Seymour Island, an uplifted island and bird magnet. We observed many sea birds looking for a mate and taking care of their young and our first land iguanas, sun bathing and foraging for food. In the afternoon, we moved position to Rabida Island, a red island due to high concentrations of iron oxide. On our way to our first snorkeling at Rabida Island, we were surprised by a pod of dolphins that stayed with us jumping and swimming around the zodiacs. We finished a beautiful day on the beautiful red beach of Rabida Island for a sunset beach walk, it was definitely a very special Mother’s Day!
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.
