Española_2018 05 24_4685
[Attracting a mate in the animal kingdom often involves a bit of showing off, but for the Waved Albatross (Diomedea irrorata), securing a future for your genes comes down to one thing: a slap in the face. The dance includes a precise sequence of moves: rapidly circling and bowing, clacking beaks, mouth gaping, and finally raising their beaks skyward whilst letting out a "whoo-ooo" call to seal the deal. Once mated, a pair will lay just one egg per year, which they will guard vigilantly for two months.] The Waved Albatross (Phoebastria irrorata), also known as Galapagos Albatross, is the only member of the family Diomedeidae located in the tropics. When they forage, they follow a straight path to a single site off the coast of Peru, about 1,000 km (620 miles) to the east. During the non-breeding season, these birds reside primarily on the Ecuadorian and Peruvian coasts. The entire colony leaves Isla Española by January to fish for three months before returning. The juvenile albatrosses remain at sea for about five years to reach maturity before returning to Isla Española to seek a mate / Punta Suárez on Isla Española has an amazing variety and quantity of wildlife. Lazy sea lions may greet visitors at the rocky landing site, forcing visitors to step over or around them to get to the trail. Groups of young sea lions are often found nearby playing in the shallow water, waiting for their mothers to return with food. Brightly-colored red and green marine iguanas can be found lining the coastal areas near the landing site. They are the only marine iguanas that remain brightly colored throughout the year. The trail passes by a small beach occupied by more sea lions and large and colorful Española Lava Lizards. It then cuts through some saltbush, where Galapagos Hawks, Española Mockingbirds, three species of Darwin’s finches, and Galapagos Doves all go about their business. Visitors then come upon the impressive nesting colonies of Blue-footed and Nazca boobies, who make their nests right along the visitor trail near the western cliffs of the island. Swallow-tailed Gulls and Red-billed Tropicbirds dash in and out of the cracks in the cliffs. Continuing inland, the trail leads to a cliff on the southern side of the island overlooking the ocean. Waves crash into a lava fissure, creating a blowhole that sprays water nearly 30 m into the air at high tide. The highlight of this visitor site — and perhaps one of the highlights of the Galapagos Islands — is strolling along the edge of the Waved Albatross breeding colony. With a population of 25,000 to 30,000, nearly the entire world population of the adult birds can be found on Española between April and December. They mate for life and perform an elaborate mating dance, a spectacle that can last five days and may include stumbling, honking, and beak-fencing. Waved Albatross pairs produce a single egg each year and share responsibility for its incubation. Their grace in the air is sharply contrasted by their comic clumsiness on land. Lucky visitors will observe Waved Albatrosses wobble awkwardly to the cliff’s edge before launching themselves into the wind to take flight—many of them for the very first time in December. The entire colony leaves Española by January to fish for three months before returning.
Española_2018 05 24_4685
[Attracting a mate in the animal kingdom often involves a bit of showing off, but for the Waved Albatross (Diomedea irrorata), securing a future for your genes comes down to one thing: a slap in the face. The dance includes a precise sequence of moves: rapidly circling and bowing, clacking beaks, mouth gaping, and finally raising their beaks skyward whilst letting out a "whoo-ooo" call to seal the deal. Once mated, a pair will lay just one egg per year, which they will guard vigilantly for two months.] The Waved Albatross (Phoebastria irrorata), also known as Galapagos Albatross, is the only member of the family Diomedeidae located in the tropics. When they forage, they follow a straight path to a single site off the coast of Peru, about 1,000 km (620 miles) to the east. During the non-breeding season, these birds reside primarily on the Ecuadorian and Peruvian coasts. The entire colony leaves Isla Española by January to fish for three months before returning. The juvenile albatrosses remain at sea for about five years to reach maturity before returning to Isla Española to seek a mate / Punta Suárez on Isla Española has an amazing variety and quantity of wildlife. Lazy sea lions may greet visitors at the rocky landing site, forcing visitors to step over or around them to get to the trail. Groups of young sea lions are often found nearby playing in the shallow water, waiting for their mothers to return with food. Brightly-colored red and green marine iguanas can be found lining the coastal areas near the landing site. They are the only marine iguanas that remain brightly colored throughout the year. The trail passes by a small beach occupied by more sea lions and large and colorful Española Lava Lizards. It then cuts through some saltbush, where Galapagos Hawks, Española Mockingbirds, three species of Darwin’s finches, and Galapagos Doves all go about their business. Visitors then come upon the impressive nesting colonies of Blue-footed and Nazca boobies, who make their nests right along the visitor trail near the western cliffs of the island. Swallow-tailed Gulls and Red-billed Tropicbirds dash in and out of the cracks in the cliffs. Continuing inland, the trail leads to a cliff on the southern side of the island overlooking the ocean. Waves crash into a lava fissure, creating a blowhole that sprays water nearly 30 m into the air at high tide. The highlight of this visitor site — and perhaps one of the highlights of the Galapagos Islands — is strolling along the edge of the Waved Albatross breeding colony. With a population of 25,000 to 30,000, nearly the entire world population of the adult birds can be found on Española between April and December. They mate for life and perform an elaborate mating dance, a spectacle that can last five days and may include stumbling, honking, and beak-fencing. Waved Albatross pairs produce a single egg each year and share responsibility for its incubation. Their grace in the air is sharply contrasted by their comic clumsiness on land. Lucky visitors will observe Waved Albatrosses wobble awkwardly to the cliff’s edge before launching themselves into the wind to take flight—many of them for the very first time in December. The entire colony leaves Española by January to fish for three months before returning.