Daphne Mayor has an area of 0.32 square kilometers and is the largest of the two Daphne Islands (Daphne Minor – 0.07 square kilometers). It extends about 10 km west of Seymour. While the smaller trail is not open to visitors, the larger one can be explored. It ascends via a steep path to the 120-meter-high peak. At the top of the cone, two small craters serve as nesting sites for hundreds of blue-footed boobies. The Nazca boobies nest along the edges of the craters, and with a bit of luck, you may also spot red-footed boobies nesting in the rocky cliff crevices of the islands.
Research on Daphne Mayor
Although the Galapagos Islands are easily accessible to most tourists, the National Park Service authorities maintain strict visitation restrictions, prioritizing their use for scientific research. For two decades, biologists Peter and Rosemary Grant conducted an extensive study on Darwin's finches in this location. They analyzed the behavior and life cycles of these birds, providing strong support for Darwin's theory of evolution. Their efforts were documented in a book that received the Pulitzer Prize.
Landing on the rocky cliffs of the islands is quite difficult due to the fragile, eroded slopes. The National Park authorities have restricted visits to the island.
