The explorer who first referred to the Galapagos Islands as enchanted must have been thinking of Tower Island. Also called Genovesa, the island is often shrouded in mist and sometimes completely obscured by heavy fog. A geologic marvel, Tower is essentially a low volcano that barely breaks the surface of the ocean.
The rocky cliffs that mark the coastline of Tower Island are not an ideal habitat for most Galapagos mammals, but the island’s dramatic landscape attracts a wide variety of birds, making Tower a bird-watcher’s paradise. Trails leading from the beaches to the cliffs reveal a variety of species. Red-footed boobies, swallow-tailed gulls and storm petrels all nest in the crevices along the island’s cliffs. Lava gulls and yellow-crowed night herons gather in tidal lagoons. Frigates and boobies can be found among low shrubs in the island’s open areas. Thousands of band-rumped storm petrels flutter along the edges of Tower’s cliffs.
Planning a trip to the Galapagos?
Galapagos mammals may be scarce on Tower Island, but birds are abundant. See boobies, frigates, storm petrels and more during a Galapagos tour with Natural Habitat Adventures.
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