On our seventh day of expedition we arrived to San Cristobal Island, one of the oldest islands, about 2.3 million years old. On its most northeastern point we looked for red-footed boobies on top of bushes or shrubs. Red-footed boobies are located on the outermost islands, from where they fly far offshore to get their food.
We started with a short Zodiac ride, to visit a little islet where several sea birds have found their niches, in the company of a sea lion colony, down closer to the water. Our guests enjoyed getting great photos of the storm-petrels, swallow-tailed gulls, frigates, Nazca boobies, blue-footed boobies and red-footed boobies, our highlight sighting of this day….
After landing on the beach, we started the hike towards their nesting area. It is June and the landscape is still green; the rainy season has been extended this year. At 26 degrees Celsius (around 78 Fahrenheit) it is still very warm and humid: the sun is very intense and the green particles of olivine glittered in the sand, giving the landscape a fantastic sparkle. Our guests enjoyed each step to the top of the hill, hiking up a narrow, steep ravine surrounded by thorny plants and crossed by lizards, mockingbirds, finches, and butterflies. Finally the prize… cool air and a spectacular view.
The Sula sula or red-footed boobies have chicks now, and we also found a blue-footed booby, Sula nebousxii, nesting right in middle of our trail!
In the afternoon, the National Geographic Endeavour moved to Kicker Rock, also known as Leon Dormido, an amazing geological formation in the middle ocean: habitat of sea birds, resting site of sea lions and one of the best sites for snorkeling or diving. We did go snorkeling later, in the company of green sea turtles, white spotted eagle rays, black tip sharks, and one hammerhead shark.
At the end of this day, after the sun had set, the cruise came to her final anchorage. The National Geographic Endeavor had circumnavigated the volcanic remnant and we had enjoyed champagne on the foredeck to celebrate. During this farewell cocktail, three frigate birds had flown above of us, as if they were saying good bye, my friends.
