DOAS Board Director, Kathryn Davino shares her photos and stories about Galapagos Wildlife. This program was hosted by Delaware-Otsego Audubon Society via Zoom on Friday, November 17, 2023 at 7:30PM.

In April, 2023, Kathryn and Alan Davino embarked upon an exciting journey, exploring part of the remote Galapagos Archipelago aboard the ship, National Geographic Endeavor II. During their week among the enchanted isles, they walked, paddled, and snorkeled amidst an array of fascinating creatures, many of which are found nowhere else on earth. The most remarkable thing they witnessed is that the animals there are uniquely unafraid of people. They found the shipboard naturalists to be excellent guides, introducing the passengers to the flora and fauna on each of the nine islands they visited.

Many bird species were either beginning courtship or raising young, and the land and marine reptiles were busy burying eggs and defending territory. Endemic marine and land iguanas, Boobies, nesting Frigate birds, Flamingos and penguins were observed up close. Dozens of Giant Tortoises, for which the Galapagos Archipelago is named, were discovered roaming in the lush highlands. These represent just a sampling of the wildlife that will be spotlighted during the program.

Kathryn Davino is a retired High School Biology Teacher from Delaware Academy in Delhi. She is an enthusiastic birder, gardener, and observer of wildlife. She has served on the DOAS Board of Directors since 2016.