We spent today exploring the western realm of the Galapagos Islands, with visits to Urbina Bay and Punta Vicente Roca at Isabela Island. We got to observe some of the most iconic endemic species in the Galapagos, such as Galapagos land iguanas, giant tortoises, Galapagos penguins, and marine iguanas. We explored the island by Zodiac riding, snorkeling, and hiking. We finished the day celebrating our crossing of the Equator as we navigated back toward the eastern region of the Galapagos.
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.
