Once upon a time, there was a hot spot in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Active for about 80 million years, it formed many square miles of basaltic sheets. Tectonic plates above this hot spot were constantly moving, rearranging and subducting the land, forming new terrain, and uplifting volcanoes. A beautiful island emerged about 2 million years ago. The island's central volcano collapsed and its crater became a huge caldera. Ocean currents eroded the southern rim of the caldera, filled it with water, and formed Darwin Bay. Varied life forms have been colonizing this island since it rose out of the ocean: pioneer plants, sea birds, vascular plants and land birds. One species would arrive by chance, then another. Some were able to survive, some could not.
The island is still here, in the northeastern section of the Galapagos Archipelago; it is Genovesa (or Tower) Island. Today, human beings visit this lovely place to enjoy the plants and the birds. The struggle for life continues here, as it always has. Right in front of us, on the rough lava terrain, we watch and we learn from what we see. A Nazca booby incubates its eggs and soon a new generation of boobies will begin hatching. The story of life on earth and natural selection is forever ongoing.
