As this journey begins, we can feel the anticipation in the air. We begin our day at North Seymour, with a landing on the rocky coast line. Small sea lions awaiting their mothers greet us as we arrive.
Heading inland through drab vegetation, we are surprised at the density of life, as land iguanas walk among us and frigatebirds soar overhead. Blood red dots are an incredible contrast against the clay-colored terrain and occasional patch of green. Great and magnificent male frigatebirds have inflated their red gular sacs to attract possible mates. Young frigatebirds sit in their nests, trying to make their own shade to regulate their temperature, as they wait for their parents to return with food. Lava lizards flit across the trail, and we hear an occasional Darwin’s finch making a high pitched screech in the distance. This island was uplifted from the depths of the ocean, and all that we witness now has been a relatively recent succession of life that is incredibly vibrant.
As we break through to the outer coast, a light breeze cools us from the strong equatorial sun that is beating down upon us. As we pass a breeding colony of frigatebirds, we observe a female magnificent frigatebird make a few passes overhead before landing in front of us. After a persistent squawk from the chick, the mother regurgitates an instant meal for her chick, and then takes to the air again to continue to search for food. Various skeletal remains along the coast remind us that this is the uninterrupted path of life, and survival can be a struggle for these creatures. Bobbing upon the turquoise waters, we return to the ship to continue our navigation west.
The afternoon brings us to Rabida Island, which has a bright red coloration from the oxidation of the iron content among the lava. The undersea world calls to us, and we head to the beach and deeper water. A white-tipped reef shark gracefully swims below us as we pass large schools of razor surgeon fish foraging on the shallow reefs. Spotted eagle rays, black-tipped reef sharks, lobsters, and turtles show us the great diversity of the ocean. We finish our day with a hike on Rabida; as the sun dips into the horizon as the chatter of the island enchants us. The suns last light blazes upon Rabida as this warmth welcomes us into the night.
