As we disembarked in North Seymour this morning, we could see frigate birds gliding by, the males with their partially-inflated red pouches, followed by juveniles and females. A couple of feet into the walk we were greeted by a female sea lion that had given birth to a beautiful baby. The baby’s umbilical cord was still hanging from its belly. As any mother with a newborn would, she was protecting this baby very carefully and as we walked by she gently picked the baby up with her mouth and put it right by her side so she could keep an eye out! As we got further into the trail we found the endemic swallow-tailed gulls that seemed to be thinking about going out to sea.
North Seymour is one of the jewels of the crown. It’s full of marine life and gives us humans the opportunity to get so close to the species that it’s unbelievable.
Blue-footed boobies were nesting everywhere today, with the males pointing bills at the females, males dancing and some females nesting. We even had the luck to see a couple of brand new chicks with eggshells by their side. Land iguanas waited in the shade of the Opuntia cacti, highly likely hoping that the fruits of the pads will fall on top of them. The cacti here are the only source of fresh water for the reptiles so they have the patience needed to get a little of it. One walked in front of us and decided to lead the way for a few minutes until it decide to say goodbye so we could get back on board the Zodiacs that would take us to the ship.
Rabida Island in the afternoon was the perfect place to take a quiet walk and have the time to absorb the wonders of this place. As we headed back to the ship at sunset we were happy to realize that we are actually here!
