Tower is the
thirteenth biggest island of the Galapagos, covering 5.4 square
miles (14 square kilometers). The island is relatively flat
reaching only 250 feet (76 meters), compared with Rabida, 1.9
square miles and 1,203 feet. The volcanic origin of the island
is evident from its outline. What today is Darwin Bay was at one
time the caldera of a volcano. After the volcano became extinct,
wave erosion wore away at the walls and eventually broke through
forming the bay.
The island is also called Genovesa, after the place where
Columbus was born, Genoa, Italy; however, the English name is
more widely used. The origin of this name is not certain, but
the circular cliffs surrounding the main bay are reminiscent of
an ancient fortress.
Tower is the most remote of the islands with land Visitor Sites
and most visitors do not make it here. However, those that make
the long sea trip, an overnight voyage, are richly rewarded, as
huge colonies of various sea birds provide a spectacle
unparalleled elsewhere in the islands or perhaps the world. The
birds make such an impression that one cannot fail to be
astonished.
Especially numerous are the red-footed boobies which make up the
world's biggest colony of this species. Other birds here include
masked booby,
frigate birds,
swallow-tail gulls, lava herons, Galapagos dove
and Galapagos owl. Two species of storm petrels have a vast
colony on the eastern side of the island, totaling over 200,000
pairs. In recent years pairs of waved albatross, that normally
breeds only on Hood Island, have been observed courting near the
petrel colony, although they have not yet established
successfully.
Also to be seen there are sea lions and fur seals. The fur seal,
actually a species of sea lion rather than a true seal, was
nearly hunted to extinction by the early part of the twentieth
century, but has recovered.
Darwin Bay Beach: Darwin Bay
Beach is surrounded by a ring of cliffs, where there’s a coral
beach and several seabird colonies. It is filled
with frigate birds and their bustling activity. Darwin Bay was
created when the island's large crater collapsed below sea
level. Landing on the white coral beach in the middle of the bay
requires a wet landing but once ashore the number of birds seems
overwhelming. Masked boobies soar overhead, great frigate birds
display their pouches while resting on the nearby rocks and
plants, mockingbirds scamper quickly across the sand. It's easy
to see why Darwin Bay is a favorite of birders. A panga
ride along the walls of the crater reveals the variety of
animals that find shelter in the ledges and crevices of the
lava. Above, the elegant Red-billed Tropicbirds fly in and out
of their nests.
Beyond the beach a series of tide pools carved out of black
volcanic rock offer wandering tattlers, lava gulls, whimbrels
and turnstones a place to fish. Yellow-crowned, black-crowned
and lava herons and white and yellow warblers have also been
seen in the area.
The trail follows the coast through the Salt Bush and Mangrove
nesting area of the Great frigate birds and red-footed boobies.
Unlike the masked and blue-footed boobies who nest on the
ground, the red-footed boobies can be seen nesting in trees
between September and July. Boobies and frigate birds share an
adversarial relationship. They nest in the same areas. Boobies
frequently destroy the frigate birds nests, while frigate birds
feed on booby eggs.
Continuing on the trail, visitors climb gradually to the edge of
the cliff seeing red-foots nesting in the Mangrove trees below.
Bird watching from the trail includes sightings of sharp-beaked
finches, large cactus finches, large ground finches, Galapagos
doves and swallow-tailed gulls. Reaching the end the trail at
the cliff's edge offers an incredible view of the island and the
many birds living there.
Prince Philip’s Steps: Visitors hike a path through
woods and nesting colonies and climb to a plateau at the top of
a cliff, known as Prince Philip’s Steps.
It got its name after the prince visited the islands in
1964, which helped stimulate international interest in the
survival of the Galapagos. The area is part of the stretch of land that surrounds Darwin Bay on
its eastern side. Everywhere one looks, there are Masked boobies
on the ground and Red-Footed boobies in the trees. Beyond a
broad lava field that extends towards the ocean, thousands of
storm petrels flutter like swarms of locusts, and Short-eared
Owls hunt down the more inexperienced ones.
Snorkeling can be done at the beach or alongside the cliffs. The
water inside the bay is very rich in nutrients, so one never
knows what may be encountered. Tower is one of the most
fantastic islands because of its animals, its landscape, its
remoteness and its unspoiled nature.
