Isla Tierra, off the coast of northern Peru
At recap tonight, it was hard not to notice the number of reddened faces amongst the staff and guests after a day under the tropical sun. As we press northward towards the equator, it’s getting easier and easier to feel and see the effects of the sun’s increasing proximity; and we can see the immediate need for more sunscreen and protective clothing, lest we too, become bleached like the sun-baked landscape of Isla Tierra, our morning stop. The small island is part of the group Islas Lobos de Afuera, named for the sea lion colony found on one the islands, but probably most famous for the guano mining that started in the mid-1800’s and still continues today; albeit to a far less profitable extent.
We landed on Isla Tierra shortly after breakfast for a walk amongst thousands of birds. Peruvian pelicans, Peruvian boobies, neo-tropic cormorants, and Guanay cormorants are all species that we’ve seen before on our voyage, but many of us delighted in our first up-close views of the blue-footed boobies that circled above the coastal waters and the dung-covered crags onshore. These birds are a perennial crowd favorite among birders and casual observers alike, in part because of their cartoonishly blue feet, but also for their outlandish behavior. Probably best-known for their elaborate courting displays during the breeding season, they still manage to entertain bird-enthusiasts throughout the year with their dart-like plunge feeding (a difficult photograph to capture, as my fellow Zodiac cruisers and I discovered), and their barely-controlled landings, which, thanks to the camaraderie among our naturalist team, we were able to capture on film. This female narrowly missed landing on a fellow booby’s head as she glided in under almost no adverse conditions whatsoever.
Whether on a Zodiac cruise along the shore or hiking on the island’s “guano-firma,” we were all treated to some spectacular views of a staggering amount of bird activity. Still, the lure of another destination calls, and we nonetheless returned to the National Geographic Endeavour for lunch and an afternoon of sunning ourselves maybe a bit too much. And like the swells under the keel, the hours rolled on by, but were made all the more enjoyable by the intermittent albatrosses, spinner dolphins, and informative presentations throughout the afternoon.
At recap tonight, it was hard not to notice the number of reddened faces amongst the staff and guests after a day under the tropical sun. As we press northward towards the equator, it’s getting easier and easier to feel and see the effects of the sun’s increasing proximity; and we can see the immediate need for more sunscreen and protective clothing, lest we too, become bleached like the sun-baked landscape of Isla Tierra, our morning stop. The small island is part of the group Islas Lobos de Afuera, named for the sea lion colony found on one the islands, but probably most famous for the guano mining that started in the mid-1800’s and still continues today; albeit to a far less profitable extent.
We landed on Isla Tierra shortly after breakfast for a walk amongst thousands of birds. Peruvian pelicans, Peruvian boobies, neo-tropic cormorants, and Guanay cormorants are all species that we’ve seen before on our voyage, but many of us delighted in our first up-close views of the blue-footed boobies that circled above the coastal waters and the dung-covered crags onshore. These birds are a perennial crowd favorite among birders and casual observers alike, in part because of their cartoonishly blue feet, but also for their outlandish behavior. Probably best-known for their elaborate courting displays during the breeding season, they still manage to entertain bird-enthusiasts throughout the year with their dart-like plunge feeding (a difficult photograph to capture, as my fellow Zodiac cruisers and I discovered), and their barely-controlled landings, which, thanks to the camaraderie among our naturalist team, we were able to capture on film. This female narrowly missed landing on a fellow booby’s head as she glided in under almost no adverse conditions whatsoever.
Whether on a Zodiac cruise along the shore or hiking on the island’s “guano-firma,” we were all treated to some spectacular views of a staggering amount of bird activity. Still, the lure of another destination calls, and we nonetheless returned to the National Geographic Endeavour for lunch and an afternoon of sunning ourselves maybe a bit too much. And like the swells under the keel, the hours rolled on by, but were made all the more enjoyable by the intermittent albatrosses, spinner dolphins, and informative presentations throughout the afternoon.
