Blue-footed Booby in the Galapagos Islands

I captured this photograph of a Blue-footed Booby in the Galapagos Islands while sailing with Silversea Expeditions.

A Blue-footed Booby is doing his mating dance.

He was perched in a nook on a seaside cliff wall while I was bouncing around a bit in a rubber zodiac. I had my camera set on a very high shutter speed in hopes of getting a crystal clear shot, but alas, it takes a tripod on land to accomplish that feat.

Nonetheless, this amateur travel photographer was pleased with this photo.

According to All About Birds, “the Blue-footed Booby has captivated the human imagination for centuries with its mating display, in which its vivid baby-blue feet play a key role.

The other part of the name—booby—is reportedly taken from the Spanish for “stupid” (“bobo”) and refers to these birds’ tameness around people.

Like its North Atlantic relative, the Northern Gannet, Blue-footed Boobies catch fish in spectacular dives from high in the air. Watching large flocks pursue shoaling fish can be breathtaking, with hundreds plunging into the ocean at any moment.”

I wasn’t successful in getting a photograph or video of the Blue-footed boobies doing their high-speed dives into the ocean, but it was spectacular.

The Blue-footed Booby is perhaps the most famous inhabitant of the Galapagos Islands. When you visit, they are everywhere and fairly easy to photograph.

Further Reading:

• Review: Silversea Cruises in the Galapagos Islands
• Top 10 Reasons to Visit the Galapagos Islands
• Expedition Cruising: The Next Travel Megatrend

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