There was so much to see and talk about when we cruised along the coast of "Cerro Dragon" at Santa Cruz Island. The excitement of everyone when we saw the first blue footed booby was the highlight of the day. One of the things that most impressed our guests was the incredible fearlessness of the animals and the way that they interact with each other. It is still incredible to me, after six years of work as a naturalist, how mammals, reptiles and birds can share the same environment in such peace and harmony.
When the islands first appeared, they were devoid of life. The species that are found here now are the result of the process of arrival, establishment and extinction. The number of species that are able to coexist in a particular area may thus be considered to be the result of the balance between the rates of immigration and extinction of species.
The Galapagos Islands have often been called a "laboratory of evolution." There are a few places in the world where it has been possible to find such a variety of species, both plant and animal, which shows so many degrees of evolutionary change, in such a restricted area.
