North Seymour & Rabida Island
Early this morning we arrived at North Seymour Island; this is one of the few nesting areas for both species of frigatebirds–great and magnificent–as well as blue-footed boobies and swallow-tailed gulls.
At this time of the year great frigatebirds are in full mating display, and the sounds of courting males filled the air; some were successful at being chosen by females, others were not so lucky.
As we walked along the National Park trail we encountered Galápagos land iguanas; some were feeding while others were sunbathing. Under some bushes one of our guests found a Galápagos snake slowly moving away from us. We also found many male and female lava lizards; some were fighting over their territories, and others were warming up under the intense equatorial sun. After a great walk, we returned aboard to gear up and go out snorkeling along the cliffs of North Seymour Island; this morning we saw Galápagos sharks, spotted eagle rays, and several species of fish. The water was very warm, calm and clear.
This afternoon we arrived at Rabida Island, and had different options such as snorkeling, kayaking, or glass-bottom boating. This was a great place for water activities; some snorkeled with penguins and also encountered marine iguanas feeding underwater as well as white-tipped sharks.
After all these exciting water activities we also went on a walk to look for sea lions, marine iguanas and enjoyed the incomparable scenery of Rabida, “the red island.”
