Darwin Bay Genovesa Island

Permitted Uses: Performing group visits with naturalist guide visitors

Photography and filming Guided walks ancillary activities authorized by the Galapagos National Park in the itineraries of vessels authorized

Genovese has a type shield volcano; The crater has about 600 meters wide at the edge and a depth of 60 meters. The total length of the trail is about 1,500 meters. Part of the trail is coral sand and some is planchonada lava.

At the beginning highlights the nesting colonies of the common frigate, the Nazca booby and the swallow-tailed gulls. We also find here nests of red-footed booby, being the largest nesting colony of Galapagos for pelagic bird this.

Tailed Gull feeds at night on squid and fish. Usually it nests on cliffs and rocks, but in this site do on sand to camouflage their eggs with black spots. When nest on black substrate added pieces of coral and nest on white substrate when added to the nest small lava rocks.

The Real frigate, is abundant on the island and is one of the main attractions of the island. Genovese does not reptiles, possibly due to lack of suitable nesting of these vertebrates conditions.

The mockingbirds (Galápagos mockingbird) and finches grosbeak cactus (large cactus finch) are ringed because Dr. Peter Grant has conducted long-term studies of the behavior and evolution of these land birds. The mockingbirds Genovesa have been studied for their cooperative behavior. As for the cactus finch grosbeak, on this island there are two groups of the same species differ in their singing. Females are attracted to similar or equal to their ancestral male behavior that demonstrates that there evolutionary divergence within a species singing.

Special indications

On this site, during high tide, most of the trail is covered with water. Do not wet your shoes, in order to make full course without any discomfort and problems.

Once one crosses the sector nesting frigates, the trail continues on a platform of lava and climb the cliff. Do not step on the vegetation, or get to the salty mountain area (Cryptocarpus pyriformis); tailed gulls (swallow-tailed gull) nest under these bushes and on the beach, where it is very possible stepping birds or their eggs.

Birds on this site are usually very tame and it seems that the proximity of visitors do not bother them much. However, as a rule, do not approach them at less than 2 meters away.

Genovese has remained unaltered by man due to its geographic isolation and lack of fresh water. Be sure not to carry organisms in their clothing or shoes when landing ground, nor any food, either here or in any other island.