I must admit that the one bird I was most eager to see in the Galápagos was the Blue-footed Booby (Sula nebouxii). Luckily, we saw our first glimpse of those bright blue feet on our first full day. That was the only Blue-footed Booby for the next few days, as we were treated to many Nazca Boobies, Red-footed Boobies and frigatebirds. They can be found on most of the islands, but their numbers are declining, though, and they have the lowest population of the three booby species found in the Galápagos Islands. It was on the beach of Cerro Brujo, San Cristóbal Island, that the Blue-footed Booby really gained my respect. When diving for fish, they are transformed into stream-lined diving machines, plunging from 80-100 feet above at speeds up to 60 miles per hour. I changed my mind about swimming at the beach and concentrated all of my time on capturing their high-speed acrobatics with my camera. I took many photos of splashes and near-misses, but after careful observation I was eventually able to anticipate and track the dives with a fast shutter speed. This image was one of my favorites.
Cindy Cone, Cindy Cone Photography
Galápagos Islands | Photography with Cindy Cone
