Galapagos Scrapbook (So far)

It is Day 4 as I write this, and truly, the best way I can think of posting an update is with photos and two stories that stand out just from yesterday’s expedition. One theme throughout is that this ship, our naturalists and crew are dedicated and passionate about preserving this treasured, unique place on earth.

When you see a close up photo of a creature, know that there is some zooming and cropping going on. But the amazing thing is that because the Galapagos have been so protected, the wildlife do not see humans as predators. We respect their space, of course, yet they don’t bother to move away. And young sea lions want to play with you! (But we back up and don’t engage.)

A lesson in perspective. Our first “activity” under sail is to circumnavigate Kicker Rock. We have nothing to do with the navigation. We just pose and observe how the view dramitically changes based on location and lighting.

Before our trip, when we told people we are going to the Galapagos, the most common, practically Pavlovian, response is “Blue-footed boobies!” After a day or so on the ship, the guys eventually got tired of working “booby” and “boobies” into every conversation.

And here is my up close and personal pic of the Blue-Footed Booby. Fun fact: their feet don’t turn blue until they are at least five years old. And the better they are at catching fish, the bluer their feet become. During mating season, the females swipe right based on the intensity of that blue. (It means he’s a good provider!)

I’m not sure how the Blue-Footed Booby got so famous, because, look–there are Red-Footed Boobies, too. (With blue beaks.)

Love is in the air. Or in the case of these iguanas, love is on a rock. We learn that because the female (on the right) is not scampering away, she likes the “attention” of the male.

The sweetest love story ever told. Well, sweetest as far as birds go. Our Naturalist Savina had our group sighing and smiling over the mating ritual of the Magnificent Frigate shown below.

Mr. Magnificent has a red gullet that normally look like saggy, red turkey gullet. Today he is trying to attract a mate, so he puffs out his chest, fills the “balloon” with air, flaps his wings and hollers his clickety clacking mating call when he sees a female cruising the neighborhood overhead.

Miss Magnificent checks him out, circling lower and lower, and if interested, she’ll land on the nest. What is she looking for? Has he built a nice home for Me? Is it a make-shift flat or a home in which we can raise a family? When she lands to introduce herself, does he have an engagement ring? (Looks exactly like a twig to me, but she thinks it’s great.) Taking the twig is not yet a “Yes” to the proposal. Apparently there’s a correlation to the size of his puffed chest and other anatomy required to reproduce.

If she likes what she sees there, she accepts his proposal by–get this–resting her head against that puffed up red chest, and then pressing it flat to say Mr. Magnificent is MINE. (Only for one mating season, by the way.)

Sea lions love to pose. I know they’re just enjoying the sun, but really, this one is going for a cover story.

Then our guide volunteers to get a picture our small group “with” the sea lion. (BTW, there are no seals in Galapagos. Only sea lions.) She used one of our iPhones and took 39 photos, hoping to get the beautiful aqua blue wave behind Leo the Sea Lion. ONE, this one, caught it!

Sea lion pups abound this time of year, Spring in Galapagos. Our guide Savina is explaining that the mom will give birth on or near the costal rocks because after the birth, she can use the boulders and crevasses to assist with the “disposal” of the afterbirth. (Which is a feast for the seabirds.) As we turn the corner at the end of her story, she points out a flock of sea birds hovering above and diving around a sea lion “posing” on a rocky outcropping.

As if on cue, we discover it is a mama sea lion who has just given birth. The birds are, well, doing what sea birds do with the after birth. (I gracefully declined the offer to have that picture AirDropped so I could post it here. You’re welcome.) Mom is guarding and protecting her little newborn with barks and nips at the air. (The birds would not harm the baby, but mom has an opinion anyway.)

And here we are, below, on a zodiac that will take us to a deep water snorkel spot. The ship provides the wet suit, mask, snorkel, fins and a naturalist guide in the water. It’s a “deep water” snorkel only because we dive from the zodiac and won’t be able to stand on the coral or anywhere else. The visibility is awesome and the water temperature is “refreshing.”

Stay tuned, and I’ll post more when I can! I think the giant turtles are up soon on the agenda.