Hood Island
The sounds that the young female sea lion were producing were rather extreme. She was in pain. We could tell by her expression that things were not going right, until at last we started to see the placenta coming out and parts of the sea lion pup! She was giving birth to her pup and the labor had started a good half an hour ago, it seemed that the end, or in this case, the beginning was close…
The sea lion pup was born fins first, something not unusual but dangerous for the pup’s life. There have been cases when pups are born dead because of this! Luckily for this female, things went right and the pup soon was breathing and getting the first sun beams of Galápagos.
Most of our guests on board the National Geographic Endeavour had been waiting for the birth, and many of us enjoyed this event!
We have had an early departure today, since this week we have a photographic expedition, with many children and a good number of photographers! We had enjoyed one of the most varied walks, over a trail that brings to your eyes red marine iguanas, blue and Nazca boobies with their chicks, and an incredible count of some 26 juvenile albatrosses! This has been one of the most productive years for the best adapted sea bird living on the planet.
The birth came exactly at the end of the walk and was an incredible joy for everyone, especially for our young explorers who didn’t want to miss it!
The day continued with some great snorkeling and some leisure time to wander on a perfect white coralline beach inhabited by a couple hundred Galápagos sea lions.
