Xpedition

The Xpedition was our home for seven days. (I believe this is a Galapagos hawk in the foreground.)

Here's a little better view of the bow superstructure.

Unlike other cruises we've been on, the captain offered an 'Open Bridge' -- which meant that while the ship was at anchor, passengers could visit the bridge. I think Sandy and I were the only ones who exercised this privilege because the officer on duty was a little surprised at our arrival. But it was interesting to see all the instrumentation -- including a LAN (Local Area Net, for you lan-lubbers). Operating the vessel looked a lot like a very expensive video game -- only real.

The small figure on the top deck is me -- everybody else went shopping on shore. It was a lonely afternoon.

The following two pictures will give you an idea of our accommodations. It was very comfortable with adequate storage -- plus you were rocked to sleep every night.



Our ship never docked. All transfers were done by the Zodiacs. This prevented us from transporting foreign organisms onto the islands. Even our luggage was delivered by Zodiac. It was not a pretty site and I decided I really did not want to watch.

Here you see the stern where we loaded and unloaded into the Zodiacs. After the first day, it became routine and we could get in and out of the rafts with great alacrity -- especially when there was a Bloody Mary waiting on the fantail.

The Zodiacs were stored on deck -- two on the bow and two on the top deck at the stern. They were unloaded before each excursion then lifted back into place when everybody was back on board.

After unloading, the Zodiacs would circle waiting to pick up passengers.

Once we were loaded -- usually 16 soles at a time -- we'd be on our way to a new adventure. There were two sets of excursions each day. Each set had a more aggressive agenda and the other tour would be less challenging. We found that even the 'aggressive' treks were not that difficult.

Beside the driver, each boat had a naturalist. I must say, they were all excellent, very professional. extremely knowledgeable and committed to preserving the islands. They were all Ecuadorian, typically born and raised on the Galapagos. In the course of the week, with two excursions each day, we got to know them all. Without a doubt, they were the hi-lite of the trip. (The food and wine were good too.)

Then, of course, when the mission was accomplished, the weary adventurers would return, comparing events during their respective adventures.

This was before the Bloody Marys were delivered.

Blue-footed booby

The sula nebouxii (a.k.a. blue-footed booby) is probably the next most recognized species associated with the Galapagos after the tortoise.

The natural question is: 'why blue feet?' Obviously, so they are not confused with red-footed boobies.

What you see here is a two juvenile boobies -- one red-footed and one blue-footed.

Apparently the red-footed variety live away from the shore and do not associate with their surfing cousins. However, we believe this individual was on spring break. Our naturalist had never seen the two species together before. She was so excited that she almost didn't let our Zodiac leave allowing the other Zodiacs to come up close for their picture opportunity.

Blue-footed boobies are sea birds -- they fish off the coast and are very spectacular in the air. In the following clip, you will get an idea of our typical mode of transportation in the Xpedtion's Zodiacs. Notice in the background two birds. You will see splashes as they dive to capture some poor unsuspecting fish who wandered too close to the surface.

When you see them live, you become fascinated by their technique. They soar about 30 feet above the water -- usually in groups, probably because there are a multitude of prospects below. When they spot a likely target, their wings fold up and they become a stealth missile riveted on their prey, disappearing beneath the surface, soon to be airborne in search of their next snack. They seem to do this in unison -- all diving at once. I suspect, but didn't ask the question at the time, they dive together because, if only one dove, they would scare away the fish for the bretheren.

Although we all know this, Mother Nature is impressive in engineering each creature for their unique survival. Although the same is true of the squirrels and crows in my neighborhood, it's when you observe the unique creations in the Galapagos that the lesson really hits home. In that sense, we were experiencing the insights of Charles Darwin over again. To have all this crammed into seven days is precious.

Boobies mate all year round and build their nests on flat ground -- one reason they are so easy to observe. Here is a typical couple.

Does it remind you of anything?

The male booby builds a nest then advertises his availability by spreading his wings and making a unique mating call. Notice the white ring around the nest. Yes -- it's what you think. There aren't a lot of windshields in the Galapagos.

Notice him remodeling the kitchen before he starts his mating call. There are many consistencies even across species.

Here we see the female casually strolling by. She is impressed by our hero's John Travolta dance routine, but is more enthralled with the layout of the nest. She demonstrates her acceptance of his offer by joining the ritual dance. Thus, a booby household is established. Mortgage payments start immediately.

A female lays two eggs which will hatch a few days apart.

When both chicks have hatched, the older chick pushes the younger from the nest where it dies of starvation. Neither the mother nor the father is inclined to rectify this situation. It is believed that this is a species survival strategy that pretty much guarantees that one chick will survive each breeding season -- about all the parents can handle.

The second chick is the insurance policy. If the older chick is strong enough to eject his/her younger sibling, then he or she is likely to survive until adulthood and perpetuate the family line. If the older chick succumbs, then the younger survives -- mission accomplished.

We see it as cruel and want to push the little bugger back into the nest, but you learn that what may be cruel for the individual is critical for the species' survival.

The Dicky Smothers would understand.

Below is typical day in the life of a booby couple. You will see the father settling down to incubate the eggs while mom heads off for her bridge game.