On the Road is a weekday feature spotlighting reader photo submissions.
From the exotic to the familiar, whether you’re traveling or in your own backyard, we would love to see the world through your eyes.
arrieve
Santa Cruz, unlike the other islands we’d visited previously, is inhabited. There are plantations in the highlands that have been there since before the park was created, and Puerto Ayora looks like any other tourist spot, with restaurants, hotels, and shops.
We were told that the fish market in Puerto Ayora was definitely worth visiting. This blue-footed booby clearly thought so as well. I love the “Nothing to see here, folks” attitude while he tries to get close to the fish.
Behind the counter at the fish market.
What happens when you hold an open air fish market surrounded by big birds who love love love fish and have no fear of humans? The frigatebirds flew in like an invading army — their wingspan can reach seven feet, so even though there were only half a dozen or so, it felt like a lot more. Fortunately they just circled around a few times and then left.
One of the frigatebirds who remained behind to keep an eye on the fish. It wasn’t mating season, so I never got to see them with their red pouches puffed out.
Puerto Ayora is also home to the Charles Darwin Research Station, dedicated to the study and preservation of the Galapagos species. This handsome fellow is Diego, the stud of the Galapagos. He was one of the last surviving Hood Island (now called Española) tortoises, and had been living in the San Diego zoo for decades, when he was brought back to the Galapagos in 1976 for breeding. He has since sired hundreds of offspring, and was recently released back into the wild on Española. In 2013, he was still living in the Charles Darwin center, gearing up for another breeding season.
I don’t know if this was one of Diego’s lady friends, but I loved that pose.
Products of the breeding program — these young tortoises were maybe a foot in length.
A sunset taken from the ship after the day in Puerto Ayora.
Crossing Lines and The Brokenwood Mysteries
Steeplejack
Great pictures, especially the sunset.
Steeplejack
FYWP site buffer seems to be sleeping in this morning. New posts not showing up in “next post” wings (Win10, Firefox). This one and—oh, look—the COVID update.
ETA: Also on Android with Samsung browser.
ETFA: And now the wings are showing up. ?
WaterGirl
The blue-footed booby looks so jaunty with the one foot out, and the frigatebird looks so rumpled. So charming.
WaterGirl
What a life Diego had. In a zoo for decades, then decades of breeding in Galapagos, sexy lady friends, hundreds of offspring, and then finally released into the wild. I wonder what he is up to now.
Wag
The blue footed booby is such a dandy. Just needs a top hat and a walking stick to complete his ensemble.
JanieM
The pictures are interesting and the captions are wonderful. I keep thinking how exotic these critters are and reminding myself that they’re perfectly ordinary in their own context. Thanks for bringing us a taste of it.
WaterGirl
@Wag: I know, so jaunty! He is the Cary Grant of blue-footed boobys
If I ever need an avatar, I might just go with him.
Mike in Oly
I’ve really enjoyed this series. Thanks for sharing them.
MelissaM
I, too, am enjoying the booby picture. I think he’s “stepping out with my baby – can’t go wrong ’cause I’m in right!”
WaterGirl
@Mike in Oly: arrive just added #7 and #8 to finish off the Galapagos series, so we will see those in a few weeks.
SkyBluePink
Wonderful view into a different world!
TheOtherHank
I just love boobies
way2blue
Blue footed boobies. Nature is so silly…
Ruckus
@WaterGirl:
More of the same?
Someone has to do it.
A woman from anywhere (formerly Mohagan)
@JanieM: Yes! I’ve noticed that especially in birding; people get so excited about a bird out of place. Of course, if you can’t travel to where they are common, it’s worth seeing rarities when they show up. But so much more fun to see them where they are common. I’ll never forget a trip to Alaska where the Bald Eagles are so common that seeing them got boring (!!!).