Genovesa Island
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Genovesa Island is shaped like a horse-shoe. It was an immense volcano whose wall collapsed, forming the Great Darwin Bay, surrounded by cliffs. Lake Arcturus, filled with salt water, lies in the centre. The island occupies about 14 sq. km. and its maximum elevation is 76 m.
Prince Philip’s Steps is an extraordinary steep path that leads through a seabird colony full of life, up to cliffs that are 25m high. At the top the trail continues inland, passing more seabird colonies in a thin palo santo forest. Leaving the forest you can overview a rocky plain.The storm petrels here are different from any others in the world because they fly around during daytime. To avoid predators they only return to their nest holes at night.
In Darwin Bay there is the possibility to either dive along the inner wall or go to the outer wall, which is less protected. An other possibility is to dive from the outside of the volcano through the channel into the caldera.
[edit] Wildlife
This island is known as Bird Island, because of the large and varied bird colonies which nest here. There are an abundance of frigatebirds and it is the best place to see red-footed boobies, masked boobies, swailow-tailed gulls, storm petreis, tropical birds, finches and mockingbirds.
The smallest marine iguana in the archipelago lives here.