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Galapagos Islands Photo Gallery - Day 7 Genovesa

In August 2007 we traveled to Quito, Ecuador, Cotopaxi and Chimborazo, and the Galapagos Islands

Galapagos 7-1-01 Genovesa Darwin Bay The voyage to Genovesa took us almost seven hours crossing the open seas, which were a bit rough. So we all went to bed immediately after dinner just before they raised the anchor. Genovesa, also known as Tower, the northernmost of the Galapagos islands, is the rim of a sunken crater that forms Bahia Darwin, a natural harbour 2.5km wide.

Galapagos 7-1-01 Genovesa Darwin Bay

Galapagos 7-1-02 Genovesa Prince Philips Steps Our first stop on Genovesa was a dry landing at a rockfall called El Barranco near the tip of the caldera’s eastern arm, which makes a natural staircase up the 25m cliff. It is usually referred to as Prince Philip’s Steps, named after his Royal Highness Prince Philip who visited the island in the 1960s.

Galapagos 7-1-02 Genovesa Prince Philips Steps

Galapagos 7-1-03 Genovesa Prince Philips Steps Galapagos Dove The endemic Galapagos dove is reddish brown with black and white markings, touches of incandescent green, red feet and a bright blue eye ring. Its bill is curved downward, larger and more curved than most other doves.

Galapagos 7-1-03 Genovesa Prince Philips Steps Galapagos Dove

Galapagos 7-1-04 Genovesa Prince Philips Steps Birds In Palo Santo Trees Genovesa is a magnificent site for birds. The 750m trail winds through thick stands of palo santo, with frigatebirds, Nazca masked boobies, and red-footed boobies.

Galapagos 7-1-04 Genovesa Prince Philips Steps Birds In Palo Santo Trees

Galapagos 7-1-05 Genovesa Prince Philips Steps Red-footed Booby The highlight of the trip to Genovesa is seeing the red-footed booby because they are found only at the fringes of the Galapagos, with over 140,000 pairs on Genovesa. Red-footed boobies are all brown with the exception of red legs and feet and a light blue bill with a red base.

Galapagos 7-1-05 Genovesa Prince Philips Steps Red-footed Booby

Galapagos 7-1-06 Genovesa Prince Philips Steps Red-footed Booby Close Up Here is a close-up of a red-footed booby on Genovesa.

Galapagos 7-1-06 Genovesa Prince Philips Steps Red-footed Booby Close Up

Galapagos 7-1-07 Genovesa Prince Philips Steps Darwin Finch We saw two Darwin finches on Genovesa. There are 13 distinct species of finch found throughout the Galapagos Islands, with each species inhabiting its own niche. Charles Darwin's observations of the finches' different bill shapes and related eating habits helped lead to his revolutionary theories about natural selection. All of the Galapagos finches are relatively small and sparrow-like.

Galapagos 7-1-07 Genovesa Prince Philips Steps Darwin Finch

Galapagos 7-1-08 Genovesa Prince Philips Steps Darwin Finch Here is the second Darwin finch we saw on Genovesa.

Galapagos 7-1-08 Genovesa Prince Philips Steps Darwin Finch

Galapagos 7-1-09 Genovesa Prince Philips Steps Nazca Masked Booby and Egg Genovesa has many Nazca, or masked, boobies. Here is one with an egg.

Galapagos 7-1-09 Genovesa Prince Philips Steps Nazca Masked Booby and Egg

Galapagos 7-1-10 Genovesa Prince Philips Steps Nazca Masked Booby Close Up The Nazca masked booby has a long, stout neck and a strong, cone-shaped bill. Its plumage is mostly white, but its beak and surrounding skin are dark and brightly colour.

Galapagos 7-1-10 Genovesa Prince Philips Steps Nazca Masked Booby Close Up

Galapagos 7-1-11 Genovesa Prince Philips Steps Lava Cactus The forest stops abruptly at a ridge of lava, beyond which is a barren field of broken lava punctuated by lava cactus, found only in Galapagos. Growing in lava fields, small lava cactus grow in clumps measuring up to 60cm in height. The youngest growth is the yellow areas of the cactus, the yellow caused by a reflection of the sun hitting the plant. The spines on the lava cactus collect moisture when there is drizzle and fog.

Galapagos 7-1-11 Genovesa Prince Philips Steps Lava Cactus

Galapagos 7-1-12 Genovesa Prince Philips Steps Storm Petrels Thousands of Galapagos storm petrels dart wildly on the coast of Genovesa, The name Petrel is thought to be derived from St. Peter, because their habit of not quite landing in the water, but dipping their feet in and fluttering over the surface while they feed on plankton, makes them seem as though they are walking on water.

Galapagos 7-1-12 Genovesa Prince Philips Steps Storm Petrels

Galapagos 7-1-13 Genovesa Prince Philips Steps Short-eared Owl The short-eared owls are mostly seen on Genovesa. They feed on other birds, especially the Galapagos storm petrels on Genovesa. Their colouring provides good camouflage being brown with dark streaks on the chest, belly, and back plumage. It will wait at the entrance to a storm petrels burrow and will lunge with its claws when it hears a bird within reach.

Galapagos 7-1-13 Genovesa Prince Philips Steps Short-eared Owl

Galapagos 7-2-01 Genovesa Darwin Bay Sea Lions and Boats After lunch on the Eden, we took the pangas in for a wet landing at Darwin Bay on a white coral beach, loaded with sea lions.

Galapagos 7-2-01 Genovesa Darwin Bay Sea Lions and Boats

Galapagos 7-2-02 Genovesa Darwin Bay Swallow-tailed Gull Swallow-tailed gulls are endemic to the Galapagos, and are supposedly the only nocturnal gull in the world. Here is a swallow-tailed gull perched on the shore on Genovesa.

Galapagos 7-2-02 Genovesa Darwin Bay Swallow-tailed Gull

Galapagos 7-2-03 Genovesa Darwin Bay Birds Nesting In Saltbush Genovesa is a magnificent site for birds. Behind the beach is a trail leading past low saltbush, with frigatebirds, Nazca masked boobies, and red-footed boobies.

Galapagos 7-2-03 Genovesa Darwin Bay Birds Nesting In Saltbush

Galapagos 7-2-04 Genovesa Darwin Bay Male Great Frigatebird The great frigatebird is a large black bird with a long wingspan and a hooked beak for snatching prey out of the water or catching flying fish. The male great frigatebird is known for the large red pouch on his neck and green iridescence on the wings. They are called frigates because they often steal prey from other birds like boobies by harassing them in the air till the victims drop their catch. Being such agile flyers, frigates then swoop down and catch it in midair, juggling it further so they can swallow it

Galapagos 7-2-04 Genovesa Darwin Bay Male Great Frigatebird

Galapagos 7-2-05 Genovesa Darwin Bay Red-footed Booby The red-footed booby is smaller than the blue-footed and Nazca masked boobies, growing to be 70cm long with a wingspan of about 1.4m. Red Footed Boobies are fish eaters and feed almost exclusively far off shore in the open ocean.

Galapagos 7-2-05 Genovesa Darwin Bay Red-footed Booby

Galapagos 7-2-06 Genovesa Darwin Bay Red-footed Booby Close Up Here is a close-up of a red-footed booby on Genovesa.

Galapagos 7-2-06 Genovesa Darwin Bay Red-footed Booby Close Up

Galapagos 7-2-07 Genovesa Darwin Bay Juvenile Great Frigatebird The juvenile great frigatebird is black with a rust-tinged white face, head and throat.

Galapagos 7-2-07 Genovesa Darwin Bay Juvenile Great Frigatebird

Galapagos 7-2-08 Genovesa Darwin Bay Female Great Frigatebird The adult female great frigatebird has a red ring around the eye and a white throat and a white breast.

Galapagos 7-2-08 Genovesa Darwin Bay Female Great Frigatebird

Galapagos 7-2-09 Genovesa Darwin Bay Nazca Masked Booby The Nazca masked booby has a long, stout neck and a strong, cone-shaped bill. Its plumage is mostly white, but its beak and surrounding skin are dark and brightly colour.

Galapagos 7-2-09 Genovesa Darwin Bay Nazca Masked Booby

Galapagos 7-2-10 Genovesa Darwin Bay Mockingbird Mockingbirds are quite unafraid of people and very curious and will even land on a visitor's head or water bottle, always looking for food or drink. Here is a mockingbird perched on Genovesa.

Galapagos 7-2-10 Genovesa Darwin Bay Mockingbird

Galapagos 7-2-11 Genovesa Darwin Bay Swimming and Boats Back at the beach while some snorkeled, others went for a swim. The almost perfectly circular Darwin Bay was created when the island's large crater collapsed below sea level.

Galapagos 7-2-11 Genovesa Darwin Bay Swimming and Boats

Galapagos 7-2-12 Genovesa Darwin Bay Sunset Back on the Eden, we enjoyed a colourful sunset from circular Darwin Bay at Genovesa.

Galapagos 7-2-12 Genovesa Darwin Bay Sunset

Galapagos 7-2-13 Genovesa Darwin Bay Last Briefing The briefing on our last evening on the Eden was more of a de-briefing. We applauded Johnny and the crew, thanking them for the support and for such a great week. Our last order of business was to pay for anything we purchased on the boat, and give Johnny and the crew our tips in envelopes provided. After dinner we set sail for the long journey back to Santa Cruz, with most of us going to bed to sleep off the rough seas.

Galapagos 7-2-13 Genovesa Darwin Bay Last Briefing


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