Genovesa – Island of Birds
As dawn broke in the equatorial skies, Polaris captain Fausto Hinojosa carefully lined the ship up with a couple of navigational towers in order to cross over the wall of an immense caldera and enter the semi-circular bay formed within. Large, ominous black forms circled overhead, as the ubiquitous frigate birds soar up above, eternally in search of their next meal. Curious red-footed boobies alight on the ship’s lines, escorting us into their realm. Our first impression of these birds were of the elegantly black-and-chocolate-brown juveniles, but these soon gave way to the gawdily-coloured adults, with their blue-and pink beaks and red feet.
The towering cliffs of the caldera offer us a glimpse into the recent geological history of this remote island: magmas breaking through the crust of the earth to pile up, layer upon layer of dense, pure basalt, eventually breaching the blue waters of the Pacific and forming an oasis of sea bird life.
In this world, everything is constantly in motion: the physical environment is forever changing, shaped by natural forces such as volcanism, erosion, sedimentation etc. The animal and plant world is also forever changing, constantly adapting to a their surroundings. Our perceptions of the world surrounding us are also forever evolving. The very nature of scientific thought is that it is forever being challenged by new theories and new discoveries. For years we have been visiting this unique island, and we have always been under the impression that it was one of the oldest islands in the group, dating back maybe 4 million years or so. The most recent research however has shown that contrary to established belief, it might be as young as 300,000 years, on par with Fernandina to the west! The island looks older due to less volcanic activity than its western counterparts, and is made up by different magmas, originating at a Mid Oceanic Ridge rather than the Galapagos hotspot. We now look at the island under a completely different light!
Time is yet another factor in this world of perpetual change we inhabit. We visit these magical spots week in, week out, and see how seasons and landscapes change and how the inhabitants of the Galapagos slowly go through their life cycles. This beautiful red-footed booby chick that delighted us today will slowly grow, become a fledgling, then a juvenile flying to greet us as we enter the caldera, bringing to the close one of the many never-ending cycles of life on earth.
As dawn broke in the equatorial skies, Polaris captain Fausto Hinojosa carefully lined the ship up with a couple of navigational towers in order to cross over the wall of an immense caldera and enter the semi-circular bay formed within. Large, ominous black forms circled overhead, as the ubiquitous frigate birds soar up above, eternally in search of their next meal. Curious red-footed boobies alight on the ship’s lines, escorting us into their realm. Our first impression of these birds were of the elegantly black-and-chocolate-brown juveniles, but these soon gave way to the gawdily-coloured adults, with their blue-and pink beaks and red feet.
The towering cliffs of the caldera offer us a glimpse into the recent geological history of this remote island: magmas breaking through the crust of the earth to pile up, layer upon layer of dense, pure basalt, eventually breaching the blue waters of the Pacific and forming an oasis of sea bird life.
In this world, everything is constantly in motion: the physical environment is forever changing, shaped by natural forces such as volcanism, erosion, sedimentation etc. The animal and plant world is also forever changing, constantly adapting to a their surroundings. Our perceptions of the world surrounding us are also forever evolving. The very nature of scientific thought is that it is forever being challenged by new theories and new discoveries. For years we have been visiting this unique island, and we have always been under the impression that it was one of the oldest islands in the group, dating back maybe 4 million years or so. The most recent research however has shown that contrary to established belief, it might be as young as 300,000 years, on par with Fernandina to the west! The island looks older due to less volcanic activity than its western counterparts, and is made up by different magmas, originating at a Mid Oceanic Ridge rather than the Galapagos hotspot. We now look at the island under a completely different light!
Time is yet another factor in this world of perpetual change we inhabit. We visit these magical spots week in, week out, and see how seasons and landscapes change and how the inhabitants of the Galapagos slowly go through their life cycles. This beautiful red-footed booby chick that delighted us today will slowly grow, become a fledgling, then a juvenile flying to greet us as we enter the caldera, bringing to the close one of the many never-ending cycles of life on earth.
