On our early morning outing today, we landed on North Seymour Island, one of the jewels of the crown. This island is made up of a flat platform that formed under the water and eventually rose above the water line, and it has become the nesting site for some of the emblematic species of the Galapagos. As we strolled around, we had the wonderful opportunity to find the Galapagos swallow tail gull protecting a very young chick, magnificent frigate birds actively taking care of their young on the nest, and a few male land iguanas displaying mating behavior with their beautiful, bright colors. Further along the trail, we found a few blue-footed booby couples who were courting, and even a female incubating a small egg.
During this strong rainy season, species feel the changing conditions of the environment and start acting strange, as this is the time for most of them to begin their mating behaviors.
In the afternoon, the snorkeling was very satisfying. Conditions were very good, with beautiful clear water and excellent visibility. As soon as we jumped in, we found many aggregations of tropical fish of many different color, as well as a tiger sea snake that was very big but remarkably tame—we could get very close to it without scaring it away. As we continued snorkeling close to the rocks, a couple of white tip 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!
In the late afternoon, we took a stroll along the red sandy beach of Rabida among the sea lions, as the sun started to go down. Today, we understand why this place needs to be preserved for future generations, not only for humans to come and learn about nature, but for the younger generations of the animal species that have become the owners of the place. As we returned to the ship at sunset time, we could not feel any happier, we have had the privilege of sharing the island with its inhabitants that have welcomed us and made us feel as part of their own world. What an experience!
