Genovesa Island

This is thought to be the rarest bird in the world, the lava gull or Larus fuliginosus. Every Thursday, before visiting the island, the naturalists all meet at breakfast and decide who takes the different assignments for the day. The easiest "homework" we can chose to do is the census of lava gulls. There is an estimation of only 400 pairs, found just in the Galapagos Islands; therefore we count at the most 3 or 4 when visiting Genovesa's beach. Today we saw 2 adults, courting. They made a great duet, calling with their long, loud, laughing, and unmistakable call. Maybe in a few weeks we'll find a couple of eggs laying somewhere on the rocks, or the sand. Then we'll be able to add one or two more lava gulls to our census. The densest population however is at Academy Bay, where there is always abundance of fish and other waste in the harbor. This bird is primarily a scavenger, and if we are lucky, they come sometimes to thePolaris to rest on the teak deck hand rails when we are at anchor.