This is our first full day into our expedition in the Galápagos Archipelago. In the morning, we visited North Seymour Island, just north of Baltra. Although flat and dry, this island is considered one of the jewels of the Galápagos due to the number of unique species that inhabit it. The shallow waters that surround the island are highly productive, and the island was teaming with life; particularly attractive today were the frigate birds, which have already started their breeding season. At times, we could hear the chorus of the males displaying for the female frigates, in a desperate attempt to find a mate. Along the trail, we had to avoid walking too close to nesting swallow-tailed gulls; this endemic species is the only nocturnal gull in the world. A charismatic species that we were able to observe from very close was the blue-footed booby, a fantastic diver that stuns everybody with its kamikaze style. We navigated during lunchtime towards Rábida; thanks to the recent rains, the contrast between the green foliage and the reddish lavas and sands is rather striking. Several sea lions rested on the beautiful beach, oblivious to us brief visitors to their paradise.