GALAPAGOS ISLANDS DAY 6 - ESPAÑOLA ISLAND (24/05/09)
The sandy island of Española was once again home to hundreds of sea lions. Like humans they like to cuddle up to each other in the early morning.
We think it would be very difficult to get bored of these fascinating creatures.
If this isn´t an adolescent sea lion grudgingly accepting a kiss from his mother he is doing a very good impression.
Another turtle had laid her eggs.
Sea lions are very sociable animals and almost always found resting in large groups.
A Sally Light Foot Crab almost gets washed away by the surf.
The bright reds and oranges always stand out vividly from the rest of the sea shore. 
A Marine Iguana unusually off the rocks and on the powdery white sand. 
This one was eagerly eating the algae off the rock for his breakfast.
Still amazed after six days how close it is possible to get to these wild animals.
Liz found this sleepy baby sea lion and wondered if she could get away with slipping it into her backpack.
Blue footed boobies doing a courtship dance on the lava.
The blue footed bit is easy. Apparently the booby part came from early English sailors who assumed the birds to be stupid because their lack of fear of humans made them easily caught and eaten. 
A male trying to attract a female.
Proabably the most attractive of the Galapagos Finches, the Yellow Warbler.
On Española the female lava lizards are distinct from those of other islands in that their whole head, not just the neck, is bright red.
Our next new species was the enormous and beautiful Waved Albatross. We were visiting in breeding season, this one is sitting on an egg. It is important that the male or female is with the egg at all times since if left for even a minute the piratical Frigate Birds will fly in and eat it.
One of the Albatrosses displaying their impressive 2.5 metre wing span in a courtship dance.
These elegant birds can live to over 65 years old.
Once mated Waved Albatrosses pair for life. The same couples will return to the same spot every year to mate. 
This nesting Albatross indifferently regards a lava lizard which has appeared on the rock in front of it. 
A close relation of the Blue Foot, the Nazca Booby.
The ridiculous looking animal that is a Nazca Booby chick. 
Four boobies in a row!
The pretty Galapagos Dove. Definitely an improvement on the common pigeon. 
Sea Lions take sleeping very seriously, just like Adam!
No comments:
Post a Comment