In 2019, I was super-fortunate to be able to bring clients to the Galapagos islands for what, to me, was the most incredible wildlife experience I’d ever had. Anyone with some basic background in biology has probably heard about the Galapagos, as it was here where Charles Darwin observed the diversity of animals endemic to these islands and eventually formulated his theory of evolution by natural selection.
If there’s one bird most people associate with the Galapagos, it’s the blue-footed booby. However, there are several other species of boobies on these islands, including the brown booby and Nazca booby. Today, I present: the red-footed booby.
The red-footed booby (Sula sula) is known for its bright red feet, blue bill, and strong flying skills. It’s the smallest booby species, and unlike some of its relatives, it often nests in trees and shrubs rather than on open ground. In the Galápagos, it’s one of the more striking birds to see up close— and let me tell you, we got up close.
There’s a rule in the Galapagos that you must always leave 2m (~6’) between you and the wildlife. If that sounds strange at first, it’s because you’ve never experienced wildlife in a setting where it is completely unafraid of humans. That’s right, this individual was so chill that I could have walked up to it, handed it my business card, and asked for its social media handle.
To put that into perspective, you do not need a huge telephoto lens in the Galapagos, especially for the larger birds. You just get that close naturally.
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