Genovesa Island is a horse-shoe shaped island located in the northeastern region of the Galapagos Archipelago. Its distinct shape was formed from the eruption of a shield volcano (a volcano with broad, gentle slopes built up over time by repeated lava flows and resembling a “shield”) and the eventual collapse of one side of the caldera. The resulting submerged crater formed Darwin Bay, which is surrounded by steep cliffs that provide homes for many seabirds. Lake Arcturus, a salt-water, crater lake, lies in the center of the island and contains sediment that is less than 6000 years old. No eruptions have ever been recorded for Genovesa, but there is evidence of young lava flows on the outskirts of the volcano.
A short trail heads west along a tidal lagoon and then up a rocky hill that leads to a point overlooking the cliffs and Darwin Bay. Along the trail near the tidal lagoon, visitors will see pairs of Swallow-tailed Gulls—the only nocturnal gull species in the world—Lava Gulls, and Yellow-crowned and Lava Herons. The trail continues through Palo Santo trees, Opuntia cacti, and Saltbushes inhabited by Great Frigatebirds and Red-footed Boobies. Visitors are asked to watch where they walk, so as not to step on any Swallow-tailed Gull eggs. This is one of the few places in the islands where visitors are guaranteed to see Red-footed Boobies, with their bright red prehensile feet and contrasting blue bills. Red-footed Boobies are the smallest of the three booby species in Galapagos, and two plumage forms can be found: 95% of the birds have brown feathers and the other 5% have white feathers. It is estimated that more than 200,000 Red-footed Boobies live in the trees and bushes of Genovesa.
