North Seymour
Today we saw paradise for birds! There were so many, right from the beginning; as soon as you set foot on this island you cannot believe how many of them come so close—you could virtually touch them by reaching out your hand.
A few steps off the landing are the elegant blue-footed boobies: dancing, flirting, exchanging presents (a simple twig works perfect for them), sky pointing, a concert of whistling and honking and I hear people saying, “This is all like what you see in documentaries,” to which I reply, “This is way better than that because you are in it now.” The birds are going crazy because this is the beginning of their breeding season that will continue for some more months to come.
As you continue to move along a flat trail with some rocks, other forms of life come into view. One of them is another species of seabird called frigatebird. They reside in the Galápagos and have chosen this island to nest; they do it throughout the year and when they its time to start, the males choose a spot, make a nest, pump air into their pouch (an extension of the throat) for about 20 minutes to exhibit to the females that fly above, doing their best to attract them. This involves making some sounds and vibrations, wing-shaking and other moves that only they can perform and only they can understand. These love stories will only have a good end when the females decide to land next to them and stay. After a short honeymoon, they engage in the harder labors of housekeeping.
Life here is so abundant that not only birds came to stay, but also some reptiles. Among others are lava lizards and marine and land iguanas. The former are everywhere in the islands but in each location they look significantly different in aspects of size and color, even though there is only one species. The marine iguana is famous for being the only iguana in the world that forages at sea; green algae are its main source of food. The latter is a land-only creature whose main color is yellow for males and black for females. Their main source of food is vegetation, such as cactus, from which they get water.
We can’t forget the sea lions, as they have a special charm, so everybody loves them. Maybe because they are so like us; after all we are both mammals, we both drink milk and both enjoy playing.
Keep walking and more life comes across. The unmistakable brown pelicans standing still on the rocks as if asked to pose for pictures. Also a very special type of sea gull lives here; it goes by the name swallow-tailed gull and hunts at night far out to sea for flying fish and squid, making it unique among the family.
Great outing!
