We woke up this morning at North Seymour Island, which has a large concentration of great and magnificent frigatebirds, both of whom nest on this island. At this time of the year, great frigatebirds are beginning their mating season, which will extend until June. In the case of magnificent frigatebirds, we see them nesting throughout the year.
We landed on North Seymour and walked through a forest of incense trees, where we saw Galapagos land iguanas and juveniles blue-footed boobies. This morning we also admired the beauty of big waves breaking along the shoreline while Galapagos sea lions were relaxing on the beach.
After this lovely morning walk, we returned to the National Geographic Endeavour and navigated towards Rábida Island. As we arrived, we loaded our Zodiacs and headed to the red cliffs of the coastline, where we snorkeled in deep waters. Our guests who wanted to practice in shallow waters had the opportunity to snorkel from a nearby beach instead. This island offered a great snorkeling opportunity, with colorful fish, sharks, rays, a green sea turtle and even our first Galapagos penguin sighting.
After snorkeling, we went ashore for a walk to enjoy the great landscapes of this visitors site, We had many more wildlife sightings, including Galapagos land iguanas, finches, Galapagos mockingbirds and a very unusual visitor: A Peregrine falcon.
The day ended with a great sunset and the soothing sound of the waves, as we headed back to our ship. It was an excellent first day, and we are excited to see what lies in store as we continue our exploration of the Galapagos Islands.
