Category: Galapagos 2012

Ecuador Trip: Day 11

Galapagos Cruise: Day 6, Morning

Day 6 of our Galapagos cruise (April 26, 2012) is another that deserves two blog posts. We just did so much in one day, and everyone had their cameras out, that it’s impossible to cram into one post (keep in mind that I update my photo albums about every five years and am partially using these blog posts to help remind me what I did a certain day when I finally get around to putting Ecuador pix in albums).

In the morning, we set off for Egas Port, also known as James Bay, on Santiago Island. For Week 1 of our cruise, this was the first time we set foot on a landing site that wasn’t on either Isabela Island or Fernandina Island (not counting our first visit to giant tortoises in the wild on Santa Cruz before we officially pulled anchor).

The first thing you notice when you land at Egas Port are the cute little Flycatcher birds. Out of our group of 17 people, including the guide, the Flycatchers must have landed on at least 10 of us. I was one of those who didn’t merit a Flycatcher landing (sob), but My Liege, BIL and SIL all did (or, if one did land on me, it wasn’t caught on camera that I know of). The birds would land on your camera, your outstretched finger, the rim of your hat. In the interests of maintaining the privacy of the other passengers, I’m not posting any of their photos. However, I will post a picture of our guide, Harry Jimenez, with the Flycatcher landing on his camera. Harry recently opened his own blog about his hotel and the guiding he does both with his boat, Blue Fantasy, and as a freelance guide on larger boats like the Cormorant. Harry has a new website for the Eco-Lodge and also an Eco-Lodge Facebook profile which you can go friend. I figure if I post links to all his sites, Harry will forgive me for posting his picture with the Flycatcher. It’s called promotion, Harry. You’re welcome.

Here’s Harry with the Flycatcher landing on his camera:

Life is not complete without a close-up! “Flycatcher.” Photo Credit: Moi:

There are beautiful rock formations all over Egas Port/James Bay. It’s not uncommon to spot a baby sea lion catching a nap:

Marine iguanas taking a bath:

There are grottoes and tide pools galore at Egas Port. It is amazing, totally beautiful. We really loved Fernandina Island and Isabela Island for the vast variety of marine life and wildlife. However, the visit to Egas Port in Week 1 was a tiny taste of what was to come during Week 2 of our cruise, where we visited many islands with spectacular rock formations. This is why it’s so difficult for me to choose whether I liked Week 1 or Week 2 better. They are so different. If you only go for one of the weeks, don’t be surprised if you find yourself wanting to go back again a year or two or three later to finish the other half of the Islands. I know one couple from Week 1 who intend to go back for Week 2, and at least one person from Week 2 who intends to return for Week 1. A couple we met from Germany on Week 2 were on their second Galapagos cruise and have every intention of returning a third time.

Travel Tip! Paradise is highly addictive.

I took a walking stick to Egas Port, but quickly discovered it interfered with my zoom lens and my standing ability. So I fobbed it off on my husband. Here we are, happy as Sally Lightfoot Crabs, at Egas Port:

We’re wearing our Panama hats, bought and made in Ecuador. I can’t remember if I’ve told the story of how Panama hats came to be called Panama hats. If you’ve been following the travel blogs and can’t remember me saying anything, let me know (which means you either have to comment or email me) and I’ll include the Ecuadorian-made Panama hat anecdote in another post.

Our group came upon this cool arch that we had to cross. What’s everyone looking at? Sea lions are playing in the water down below!

Proof that I do not lie:

At Egas Port was one of the perhaps two times (that I can recall) during the entire two weeks where we saw Fur Seals. The fur seals are furrier than the sea lions. My knowledge stops there. Perhaps Harry J. can educate us on his blog! I’m only here to be revered, you know. I can’t be expected to retain all knowledge. Limited gray matter is my excuse.

Fur Seal:

Finally, we have an interesting rock formation known as Darwin’s Toilet:

The water rushes in and out and resembles a toilet flushing (once someone has pointed that out to you; otherwise it resembles water rushing in and out more like a well refilling very quickly).

My husband took a short video of Darwin’s Toilet that is on my Facebook page. If you’d like to see Darwin’s Toilet in action, visit www.facebook.com/cindyprocterkingauthor and click on Photos, then click on Videos. Then click on Darwin’s Toilet.

While you’re there, it can’t hurt you to like my page, so go ahead and click “Like.”

What, it does hurt, you say? Awwwwwww. It only hurts a little. You can handle it. I know you can.

Ecuador – Day 10

Galapagos Cruise – Day 5

Yes, I quickly tired of titling my posts, example “Day 10/5.” I figure the clever among you can follow along with the explanation right above just fine.

On April 25th, Day 5 of our Galapagos cruise, we visited Espinosa Point on Fernandina Island in the morning, after which we went snorkeling at Tagus Cove in the afternoon and then hiked to Darwin’s Lake on Isabela Island.

Visiting Espinosa Point is surreal. Especially if you visit on the first week of a two-week cruise before you might become jaded by all the spectacular marine life (although I can’t imagine anyone becoming jaded, but I suppose some do). By now you’ve seen a few land iguanas, but nothing can prepare you for the Star-Trekian planet full of Marine Iguanas, hundreds of the things, worshipping their sun god as they await transport back to the mother ship. Just when you think you’ve seen so many sun-worshipping marine iguanas that you couldn’t possibly see any more, you round another corner and there’s another batch! As far as iguanas go, I don’t think I saw another site this spectacular anywhere else in the Galapagos Islands. I’ve chosen just a few shots as examples. Honestly, sometimes the iguanas looked like they were carved from the lava rock of the island, because they just stood there motionless, or crawled over each other, in their eagerness to either remain in place or beat out a compadre for the best sun-worshipping spot.

Also, note how close you can get to the iguanas without disturbing them. Our guide would shout out, “Don’t step on the iguanas!” There were literally that many of them.

Good thing these guys were slow-moving, because they meant business.

“Here is our leader! Honest, under the human skin lurks iguanas just like you! We are even bigger, however. We could step on your tails if we wanted to. But we don’t wish for your leader to beat us up.”

Our Leader:

Espinosa Point doesn’t only feature Marine Iguanas, however. We saw sea lions frolicking, and this lovely sight of a mother nursing her baby:

A view of our catamaran, The Cormorant, in the background. Also shows the landscape of the area where we walked:

See those little red things in the foreground? Those are Sally Lightfoot Crabs. We saw a ton of them on Espinosa Point.

But first, the bird for which our catamaran was named, the Flightless Cormorant:

Now, you know I can’t resist showing a photo of a sea turtle. On Espinosa Point, you could get a picture of a sea turtle along with Sally Lightfoot Crabs, and, if you were lucky, a Marine Iguana right beside them. This photo is missing the iguana. He was close by, but I wanted a close-up of the sea turtle in its little pond:

He wants his close-up. He’s not ready, he just wants it:

Pretty much like an insect up close, no? And people wonder why I respect crabs enough not to eat them.

After lunch, we snorkeled in Tagus Cove, Isabela Island. It was a sea turtle paradise! (In other words, live with that you’re going to see two of them here):

After snorkeling, we took the pangas to the beach for a hike up to Darwin Lake. The graffiti that you see on the right (it’s very tiny from this far away and at this resolution, but if you can spot what looks like white writing to the right, that’s what I mean) is (a) very old (b) also from the 50s (c) maybe the 70s, too). The oldest graffiti dates back to 1836. Even vandalism becomes historic at a certain point:

The idea is that your tour group is supposed to be the only one at a site at a given time. In reality, there are often two or three groups at the site at once, but you don’t see them because there is a loop-path back to your landing site. However, at Tagus Cove there is one place to land, one path to hike up to view Darwin Lake, and then the same path to hike back down. So this is when you’re likely to meet another tour group. You’ll be on your way down and they’ll be coming up.

Just another day in paradise!

Yesterday, the last purebred Pinta Island giant tortoise, Lonesome George, died at the Charles Darwin Research Station on Santa Cruz Island in the Galapagos. Seeing as I’ve been blogging about the Galapagos and had a chance to see Lonesome George in captivity at the beginning of June, here’s an R.I.P. photo homage. They say he was over 100 years old, although his exact age (while alive) could not be determined. He was found in 1971 and another of his sub-species has never been located.

Rest in paradise, Lonesome George!

Added: If you’d like to learn more about Lonesome George, the guide for my Cormorant Cruise, Harry Jimenez, has a new blog with a substantial entry about L.G. Click here to read it.

Ecuador: Day 9.

Galapagos: Day 4.

The pirates do tell a tale of long-ago featuring the Mysterious Black Lichen. The Mysterious Black Lichen can be found in bathtub drains, on the backs of white coats, and wherever the Great Formidable Being (upon whose scalp lurks the Mysterious Black Lichen) happens to be walking around, dropping the MBL like fleas. One would think the Great Formidable Being would be bald by now. But the GFB grows the MBL at a rate usually only found in the wilds of British Columbia (think Sasquatch) or in Harry and the Hendersons starring John Lithgow. In the Galapagos Islands, the Mysterious Black Lichen is neither endemic nor in need of conservation. Indeed, the Mysterious Black Lichen is generally restricted to Those Dumb Enough Not to Bring Along a Bathing Cap.

In the afternoon of Day 4 of our Galapagos cruise, the Mysterious Black Lichen made yet another appearance whilst (nice British word) our group was snorkeling in Urbina Bay, Isabela Island (we had crossed the Bolivar Channel during lunch). The MBL has a brother and a sister, of the names Es (short for esquire) and T (short for T). Es and T happen to be married, which the MBL questions in this day and age. The MBL is not married to Es or T, but could easily be mistaken for a sibling of either—because of all that freaking dark hair all three of us possess. But Es and T were smart enough to: (Es) have short “man-ish” hair and (T) wear aforesaid bathing cap, or snorkeling cap, or swimming cap, or whatever she wants to call it.

It only took three snorkel trips before Es and T took pity on the Great Formidable Being and advised her to wear her baseball cap backward while snorkeling. That would take care of things. And it did!

Confused yet? Me, too. But consider this Travel Tip: If you have hair long enough that it swirls around your face while you’re snorkeling, thereby obscuring your view, yet it’s short enough that you can’t put it in a ponytail, for pity’s sake, buy a bathing cap before you leave! Or bum one off T and let her mysterious black lichen obscure her vision for a day. She’s accommodating like that. Then, when she leaves at the end of Week 1, beg to borrow the bathing cap for Week 2, promising to return it upon your return to Canada. Then return it if you wish or keep it—it’s not like T is going to chase you into the wilds of British Columbia to get it back, is she?

Rather trusting, that T.

Snorkeling photos! Urbina Bay, Isabela Island!

Yes, my husband looks quite accommodating, holding my hand like that, doesn’t he? But he’s an adventurer, and there were times when he would just…let go. The nerve. So I was swimming along and at one point thought I saw an octopus. However, I couldn’t be certain because I had been conditioned growing up (by my imagination) to believe that octupi were huge monsters with 25-foot-long tentacles. Also, for those of you who’ve followed my recovery from laser eye surgery in December and have listened to me whine on my blog that my distance vision isn’t as good as it was supposed to be…well, I couldn’t quite be sure what I was looking at because my distance vision isn’t as good as it was supposed to be! And it hadn’t occurred to me to invest in a prescription snorkel mask because (a) I was told my vision might still improve and (b) I didn’t know such items existed.

Travel Tip! If you need to wear glasses in order to ascertain the existence of an octopus while snorkeling, get the proper equipment before you go.

When I was gazing quizzically at the octopus, no one else happened to be around me. This is because, left to my own resources, I will drift with whatever fish happen to be around, or I’ll splay my arms and legs and close my eyes and consider what it would be like to drown in the ocean. I can tell you that it feels like, once you’ve accepted your fate, it could be quite peaceful. And don’t look askance at this blog post. Writers are allowed to think about such things. It’s not weird. It’s research.

Thanks to BIL, I later realized I had been looking at an octopus! Here it is:

Here’s a funny story about Es (short for Esquire). Sometime during Week 1, the crew aboard the Cormorant came to believe that Es and I were brother and sister. This was not only due to our similar hair colors, but because I started heckling Es from Day 2. I am pretty sure I was nice to him on Day 1. Don’t ask me why I heckled Es. He seemed to deserve it. Next thing I knew, he started heckling me back. One snorkel trip, while returning to the catamaran, Es and I were sitting across the panga from each other and the guide was at the very front of the panga. The catamaran crew knew that (1) a brother and sister were traveling on this cruise, but they could not seem to figure out that my husband and my sister-in-law were the brother and sister. This was made worse by Harry J., the guide, asking Es and myself, “Are you brother and sister?”, to which I answered, “No,” and to which Es shrugged and said, “Yes.” You can see why Es annoys me just like an honorable brother should. “NO,” I had to repeat and then asked Harry, “Why?”

“Just trying to figure out the family relationships,” Harry J. said. “So how do you two know each other, then?”

“We met in the airport.”

Yes, I like to heckle practical strangers. If they take to it kindly, they are allowed, allowed, I say, to become my friends.

“Ah,” said Harry J. “Cormorant family.” To which Es and I nodded.

If you are lucky, you will form bonds with your traveling companions. These bonds might not extend beyond your trip, or they might. Hopefully, Es and T are still speaking to me after this because I might be in need of a room at their place sometime next winter. Ahem.

Oh, and honorable brother, thank you for the secret bottle of wine you and T bought My Liege and Moi (even though I don’t drink red wine, still kind of you) your last night on the boat. I know you bought it because when I went to pay our bar bill for Week 1 and asked the bartender why the bill wasn’t as large as we were told it would be that afternoon, his response was, “Your brother paid for a bottle.” Yet my biological brother was, all along, esconced safely back in British Columbia. Agh!

After the snorkel, we hiked along Urbina Bay, which has this cool dark sand. I’d show you a picture, but the one I have, of 3 of the Group of Four sitting with our guide, really, and I mean really shows off SIL’s legs. Good thing she has great legs! Just to show you the sand (keep your eyes off the legs):

She was wearing a bathing suit beneath that cover-up. It is decent. Don’t tell me it’s not. And it’s not like you can see her face. For all you know, she’s from Australia and is named Midge.

During this hike, we encountered a few giant tortoises in the wild:

Interrupted mid-snack. He is ready for his close-up:

Or you might encounter cool yellow land iguanas. Apparently, the largest in the Galapagos can be found at Urbina Bay.

Honestly, I apologize for the Dr. Doolittle effect. It’s not like I have any control over it.

Our next Galapagos blog post, appearing sometime during the next millenium, will take us to Espinosa Point back on Fernandina Island. Yes, we crossed the Bolivar Channel yet again. And if you think the appearance of the Mysterious Black Lichen is weird, just wait until you meet the Marine iguanas. It is a “Take Me to Your Leader” Spec-Tac-U-Lar.

I’ve reached another level of brilliance. I know, hard to imagine. But note the new titling method of my Galapagos posts. It’s Day 9 of our Ecuador trip, but Day 4 of the Galapagos cruise. That should help those of you are easily confused. Or at least help me!

The first week of our cruise pretty much went back and forth between the back side of Isabela Island and Fernandina Island. We would make a stop in the morning on one side of the Bolivar Channel, and, in the afternoon, we would be on the other side. This is truly a gorgeous area of the Galapagos, and we saw so much in one day that was unique to the Western Islands (Fernandina and Isabela) that it deserves two blog posts. This entry, you’re just getting the morning of Day 4.

But first, I forgot to include, from Day 3 of the cruise, the wonderful meal we were served after our morning snorkel. Usually, we would take our meals in the dining room, and those meals were always amazing, thanks to the “Gastronomic Engineer,” Javier. But on one day of each of the two weeks, we enjoyed a barbecue on the upper deck. I”m not a seafood lover, but these barbecues are incredible. It is said that when planning your Galapagos cruise, to choose the best boat you can afford, because it can make a difference in the food, among other things. I can’t imagine the food being any better than that which Javier whipped up for us, along with his helpers in the kitchen. There was always so much to choose from, but the barbecues were something special.

From Day 3:

Okay, back to your regularly scheduled Day 4 of the Galapagos Islands. If you can tear your eyes away from BIL’s plate, that is.

Our panga trip to Mangle Point was very similar to our Panga ride at Elizabeth Bay, Isabela Island, from Day 3. Both trips were incredible. You don’t get out of the pangas. Ie. you don’t “land” anywhere. The drivers and guide take you into the red mangrove forests via panga. Click on red mangrove forests (previous sentence, dippy) to find out more about them. It’s great fun, and because the water is so shallow, before you know it you’re standing up and taking pictures and videos. Our guide, Harry Jimenez, was great about letting us know when it was safe to stand up and when it wasn’t.

Here is one of our two pangas venturing toward the red mangroves:

A close-up of the incredible root system:

There is so much wildlife in the water by the mangroves and also birds flying everywhere above you, it’s incredible. Rays swim alongside your panga, and sea lions follow you around. Evidence:

But you can’t look in the water all the time or you might miss something, like this fellow:

Next thing you know, someone’s telling you to look down!

Look at his shadow? Isn’t that cute? Also gives you an idea of how shallow it was. BIL just stuck his camera underwater while sitting in the panga to capture this great shot.

Now, you already know I love sea turtles. They were also in abundance. Honestly, if you love wildlife, the panga trips around Fernandina Island are not to be missed.

Tortuga!:

And here’s another sea lion:

Well, I don’t have anything that necessarily shakes, S.L., but thanks for asking.

“De nada.”

And off he goes to tussle with his buddies.

I’m pretty sure this is a Lava heron, which is endemic (unique) to the Galapagos:

I am not kidding. all these various forms of wildlife were spotted during ONE panga ride. “Wandaful!”

Finally, the Galapagos Penguin, a cute little guy:

Travel Tip: Don’t give your guide trouble about the small size of the Galapagos Penguins. The penguins get quite incensed and might report you to the Galapagos National Park Service for size discrimination.

You want giant penguins? Go to Antarctica. (Travel Tip!)

If you’re keeping up, Day 8 of our Ecuador trip is really Day 3 of the Galapagos cruise. Three and eight are two of my favorite numbers. So it makes a wonderful kind of sense that I would have my first Booby sighting on Day 8/3 (I know, the days are getting confusing, but I must continue how I have begun). (What, you don’t really expect me to go back and re-title all my previous Galapagos posts, do you? That would be disrespectful to Quito). (For shame!)

For those who think I’m talking about anything other than birds, for shame. I’m speaking of the Blue-Footed Booby, of course!. Picture forthcoming! But first…(I’m a Capricorn, I have to go in order).

On Day 3 of the cruise, we remained on Isabela Island. Our first stop was Moreno Point, which is located southwest of Elizabeth Bay. We had what is called a Dry Landing.

In the Galapagos, there are basically two types of landings—dry and wet. A dry landing means you are unlikely to get your feet wet, unless you fall off the panga before the landing. So usually you would wear hiking runners or light hiking boots, or hiking sandals. A wet landing means your feet WILL get wet. In this case, you will be advised to wear hiking sandals that like the water, water shoes, or even flip-flops, depending on how dexterous you are and where exactly you are landing.

Moreno Point is beautiful. We hiked on lava and saw sea turtles and pink flamingos in small lagoons. Words can not do Moreno Point justice, so I’ll tell the story with pictures.

I was on the panga in the background. That’s how I was able to take this picture. Because I had already landed, clever soul that I am.

The crew on the Cormorant is excellent about helping people on and off the pangas. At first, with eight people crammed into one panga, and then you add on the panga driver and then maybe also the guide, if he happened to be in your boat, we had 8-10 people on one panga. The first few panga rides, I hung on to my husband and/or the hand grips for dear life. By the end of the two weeks, I was extremely comfortable on the pangas.

Travel Tip! Walking on lava is hot work. It also takes some getting used to for those of us who don’t have the greatest balance. When your guide tells you to wear lots of sunblock and bring a lot of water to drink (at least one bottle per person), make sure you do just that. Plus, don’t be like me and wear a baseball cap during your Galapagos cruise. My neck got burned even though I put sunblock on it. Within a couple of days, I was saving the ball cap to contain the Mysterious Black Lichen while snorkeling and then wearing my Panama hat (bought in Otalavo…I think…or maybe Quito) for our land excursions. The Panama hat offers far greater protection than a silly little baseball cap. I don’t care how cute you look in the cap! Trust me, you look cuter in the Panama hat.

Seriously, wear something that protects the back of your neck.

Regarding the water bottles, when you board the catamaran you are given a water bottle each and are expected to refill it from a cooler in the dining room. At the end of the week, we got new water bottles. This is an ecological manoeuvre so each passenger isn’t consuming 5 plastic bottles per day. Some people like to bring their own water bottles, but we didn’t.

So you walk along the lava and explore all sorts of stuff. One of our first sightings was…

Isn’t it cute? Honestly, I adore the Galapagos sea turtles. I think I almost like snorkeling with sea turtles better than I do sea lions, and sea lions are a blast to snorkel amongst, so that’s saying something.

There’s just something about the sea turtle… They’re so graceful, and they don’t give a rip that you’re around. Need I say it again? I adore them.

An example of the lava landscape:

I loved the huge cracks in the landscape, even though I was convinced I would fall into one. I found this hike fairly difficult, because I really had to watch my step and my husband was always taking my hand and helping me over the most dangerous parts. On later hikes, I made use of the walking sticks that the boat provides. If you want one, though, you have to take it into the panga with you. And once you take it with you, you have it for the entire hike. After a couple of hikes with a walking stick, I decided they got in the way of my cameras. Plus, I was becoming more adept at walking on lava. Eventually, I could hopscotch right along! (Sort of).

After ooohing and ahhing over the flamingos, we returned back over the lava, into the pangas, and onto the boat again. It was time for our first snorkel. For me, it was my first time snorkeling ever. Our guide, Harry, was super comfortable in the water (he became a Dive Master at something like 20) and was great to snorkel with. If someone was really freaked out, he’d snorkel with them. However, all other three members of the Pack of Four had snorkeled several times in their lives, so I just held on to my husband’s hand for the first 2 or 3 snorkels until I got the hang of it.

SIL trying to freaking me out before my first snorkel:

We are wearing the wet suits provided by the Cormorant (hey, look, you can see the walking sticks in the basket by the fire extinguisher). (Look, up top you can also see the life jackets we would wear aboard the pangas).

We are standing in an area known as the Muster Station. Behind me, you can see what looks like a little wooden structure. This is one of two units for holding any pairs of shoes or sandals you intend to wear off the boat. You can not wear a pair of shoes or sandals inside the boat once you have worn them OFF the boat. This is so you don’t traipse stuff from the Islands back onto the boat. So if you don’t like going barefeet inside the boat all day, bring another pair of shoes or sandals.

The Cormorant supplies wet suits, flippers, masks and snorkels, and they are all in great shape. However, you can bring your own if you wish. Once you have chosen a set of flippers, mask, snorkel and wet suit, it is placed in a mesh duffel that carries your room number on it. You have the same set of snorkel gear your entire time on the boat.

Travel Tip! If you choose to bring along your own snorkel mask, test it out underwater BEFORE packing it in bubble wrap and flying it all the way to Ecuador. Because if you think you can fix the leaks in your mask on the boat, buddy, you are soooooooo wrrrrrrrrrong.

Travel Tip! If you don’t have an underwater camera, seriously consider investing in one for the cruise. I didn’t have one, but BIL did. So all the underwater photos I will show you from now on are photo credit: BIL.

Note: BIL didn’t actually take all the underwater photos on our cruise. This is where a guide like Harry comes in very handy. He would take the camera of anyone who wished and dive down and snap the most amazing pictures for us. Like this seahorse:

Isn’t that amazing?

I must confess, I could barely make out the seahorse through my mask, which was constantly fogging up. This being my first snorkel, I wasn’t yet an expert at not floundering in the water. I was forever getting sea water into my eyes and then the mask would fog up. Eventually, the other passengers took pity on me and taught me a thing or two. I did see parts of the seahorse, but nothing like the detail in the picture above. For that, I would have needed to dive underwater, and no matter how much I came to love snorkeling, I never once had the urge to hold my breath and dive underwater. I know myself. I would have breathed at the wrong moment and inhaled two lungs of sea water.

After our snorkel, we moved to Elizabeth Bay, where we enjoyed a panga ride in a mangrove forest, which is super cool and unique to the Galapagos. We did another panga ride the following day, and that is where I took most of my pictures. But, on the Elizabeth Bay panga ride, we glimpsed our first Blue-Footed Boobies! We did not see them again for a few days. At first I feared I would never see them again. Little did we know that we were in for Booby heaven before the first week was over. But, for now…my first boobies!

See the cute blue feet? We won’t speak of why the rock is white, however. I am sure you can draw your own conclusions. Except, hmmm, the Booby on the left looks like it has feet the same color as the rock. This must mean that what is on the rock is also on the Booby’s feet, because you can see the blue legs. Young Boobies…deposit on their feet. I can no longer remember why. To keep them cool? As camouflage for predators that love blue feet? So people won’t take their pictures?

Give me an educated guess! (Or uneducated, as the case may be).

The problem is, this Booby doesn’t look like a youngster. So, my keen powers of observation, and memory, and going back and studying the larger JPEG of this picture tell me that…the Booby’s blue feet are hidden by a little dip in the rock!

You can still go ahead and guess why baby Boobies poop on their feet. Super creative guesses might even inspire me to ask one of the Pack of Four for the answer.