Northern Galápagos Cruises: Genovesa and North Seymour

Two islands with three visitor sites: Darwin Bay and Prince Philip's Steps on Genovesa, and the trail on North Seymour. Marchena and Pinta lie in the north as well, but no itinerary we sell calls at them. 23 species are recorded at those three sites, most of them seabirds.

For the birds. Red-footed and Nazca boobies are recorded at both Genovesa sites with the highest certainty we track, and the wedge-rumped storm petrel is at Prince Philip's Steps. The blue-footed booby is on record there too, but only as a rare sighting; for that one North Seymour is the reliable stop.

38 of the 97, and 1,689 upcoming departures with space touch the region as a whole. Genovesa sits alone in the north, so a circuit has to be built around it; the same ship calls there one week and not the next.

The great frigatebird is at its most active from March to June, the magnificent frigatebird from January to March, both on North Seymour. The blue-footed booby's courtship there runs June to August. Everything else in the region is recorded year round.

From 3 to 14 nights. Of the 1,689 upcoming departures with space, 293 are 4 nights, 238 are 7 nights and 280 are 14 nights. The longer ones are the ones that combine the north with the west.