Galapagos offers us incredible encounters with wildlife, and Mother’s Day was no exception. We landed in North Seymour early to make the most of our visit. There was a lot to see just at the landing site. Blue-footed boobies courted and nested right next to our trail. One particular female had three eggs, which is a bit unusual. We took pictures and congratulated the proud mama. Male frigatebirds soared above as they tried to impress the females. The males have inflated gular sacks to attract a mate, not unlike heart-shaped balloons. It is impressive to listen to the sounds the birds make while watching their displays.
North Seymour also has a population of land iguanas. The population is not endemic to the island; the iguanas were actually moved here as part of a scientific experiment in the early 1900s. The iguanas are now thriving on the island, and we were able to find quite a few along our trail.
During the afternoon, we navigated to another island for water activities. Snorkeling off the red sand beach of Rabida Island was fantastic. Some of our guests tried this activity for the first time, so it was nice to see them practicing the new skill. More experienced snorkelers went deeper to find as many species of fish as possible.
But that was not all. At sunset, we landed on Rabida again. This time, we explored the shoreline. We found Galapagos sea lions and a small portion of the population of American flamingos that are residents of this island. These flamingos now have the status of a sub-species.
What a beautiful way to celebrate Mother’s Day…in the Galapagos, with the primordial mother of all: Mother Nature.
