It was a very long and bumpy night and we anchored just before sunrise. Isla Genovesa is an eroded flat volcanic island with a natural horseshoe shaped harbour. After another filling breakfast we set off to visit Darwin bay. As we neared the island you could hear and see the vast number of frigate birds nesting near the shore line and riding on the thermals above. The mangrove bushes were home to dozens of red footed boobies, some with chicks in their nests. As we walked along we saw lava gulls, noddy terns, doves, finches, storm petrels and tropic birds. Neither of us have ever seen so many birds in such close proximity. Sea lions were frolicking in the tide pool nearby, playing with a mangrove branch. Back on the boat we changed into our snorkelling gear. The sea was quite deep and we were hoping to snorkel over a rocky area where hammerhead sharks are often seen. We'd not been in the water long when we saw a white tipped shark, followed by a sea turtle and hammerhead shark. There are amazing if somewhat bizarre creatures with a huge wide nose and eyes mounted on either end. Lucky for us they are vegetarians and their cousins, the white tipped weren't hungry! There were huge shoals of fish very close to the surface, you could almost touch them. We saw a few more single hammerheads before a group of at least 6 swam around us, with a younger one with them. We were all buzzing by the time we were back on the boat for lunch. In the afternoon we headed over to El Barranco (Prince Philip's Steps), watching fur sea lions bathing in the sun as we reached the landing point. We climbed up the rocky path to the top of the 25m cliffs, passing nesting red footed boobies and various other sea bird colonies to where storm petrels were nesting and wheeling overhead. A short eared owl flew passed, stopping on the lava rocks nearby. We walked back to the dingies as the sun was dropping towards the horizon and it was fitting to enjoy a beautiful sunset for our last night. On board we had farewell drinks, photos with the crew followed by dinner before setting sail back south over the equator to Isla Santa Cruz.
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| Darwin bay |
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| Yellow warbler |
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| Frigate with chick |
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| Noddy tern |
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| Yellow crested heron |
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| Male frigate |
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| Red footed booby |
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| Red footed booby with chick |
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| Frigates |
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| Red footed boobies |
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| Cactus finch |
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| Male frigate |
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| The bridge on the Beluga |
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| Fur sea lion |
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| Storm petrels on El Barranco |
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| Short eared owl |
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| Nasca booby with chick |
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| El Barranco |
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| Yellow crested heron |
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| Red footed booby |
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| About to head back down the steps to the dingies |
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| In the dingy with Michelle (left) and Daphne |
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| Michelle and Becky |
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| Corine and Klas |
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| Farewell drinks with the crew |
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| Peter and Daphne |
What a fabulous time you be had, even though you ve had some rough sea nights. Impressed of your naming all the species of birds. Would have been good if you d have had an underwater camera, Bet the scenes underwater were amazing
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