OVERVIEW
Located just north of Baltra Island, North Seymour is a small islet created by seismic uplift rather than being of a volcanic origin. The island has a flat profile with cliffs only a few meters from the shoreline, where swallowtail gulls and tropicbirds sit perched in ledges. A tiny forest of silver-grey Palo Santo trees stand just above the landing, usually without leaves, waiting for rain to bring them into bloom.
After a dry landing, you will follow a 2 km trail crossing the inland before returning by the rocky coast, during which you can observe blue-footed boobies, frigates and land iguanas.
HIGHLIGHTS
North Seymour is an extraordinary place for breeding birds and is home to one of the largest populations of nesting blue-footed boobies and magnificent frigate birds. Pairs of blue-footed boobies can be seen conducting their mating ritual as they offer each other gifts, whistle and honk, stretch their necks towards the sky, spread their wings, and dance to show off their blue feet.
Magnificent frigate birds nest in low bushes, near the boobies, while watching over their large chicks. Those black birds are huge with a 90-inch (2.3 m) wingspan. During the mating season, male frigates puff up their scarlet throat sacks to resemble a giant red balloon.
Boobies nest on the ground directly, building their nest with branches from the Palo Santo trees. On the opposite, Frigates nest in the saltbushes. Boobies are excellent hunters and fish in flocks. The frigates by comparison are pirates, they dive bomb the boobies to force them to drop their prey. Then the acrobatic frigate swoops down and picks up the food before it hits the water.