For our morning outing we landed on North Seymour Island, a flat platform that was created underwater and eventually rose above the water line. This island, which today is one of the jewels of the crown, has become a nesting site for some of the Galapagos species. As we started the walk we had a very close encounter with the Galapagos swallow-tailed gulls, a pair that were actively courting and preening each other. A bit further inland we found the magnificent and minor frigate birds that were actively taking care and feeding their young in the nests.
As we come to the end of the year, species feel the changing conditions of the environment. They can feel that the rainy season will come soon and are busy getting ready for the mating season. They all start acting strange - most of them get into mating colors and behaviors and that we could clearly observe. A few male land iguanas were shaking their heads up and down as a show of aggressive behavior, which is normally displayed to impress the females. All of these males had beautiful bright colors, which attracts the females in order to reproduce.
Strong winds in the afternoon made our access to snorkeling really wet but, as we got into the water we were clearly satisfied with the beautiful colors and the visibility. Conditions were just perfect. Sea lions came to play and never got tired of it, aggregations of tropical fish were feeding on the rocks which made our snorkeling conditions perfect. On the surface we had a little Galapagos penguin also interested in finding out what we are. White-tipped reef sharks were sleeping on the sandy bottom while a Pacific green sea turtle came out to the surface to breathe right by our side!
What a place! Today we understand why this place needs to be conserved for future generations, not only for humans to come and learn from nature, but for the younger generations of the actual inhabitants that well deserve to keep their homes. As we walked back to the ship at sunset time we could not feel any happier - we have had the privilege of sharing the islands with its inhabitants and they have made us feel like a part of their own world…what an incredible experience.
