We woke up on the northern part of Chatham Island, at a place called Pitt Point which is known for red footed boobies. We disembarked on volcanic ash sand after doing a little dingy ride to spot the red footed boobies perched on bushes by the cliff. After landing and drying our feet to put proper shoes on, we walked inland. Sea lions, marine iguanas and lava lizards were spotted along the shoreline. It was a clear day and the sun was shining. It was immediately warm for the walk, but fortunately we had brought plenty water to drink.
As we walked up the hill the devastation caused by introduced goats became obvious as Scalesia bushes could only be found on the cliffs where the goats were not able to reach. We soon hope to be able to repopulate the area with those endemic plants.
Along the trail we spotted blue footed booby nests which had been abandoned, one of them with two eggs in it. I speculated that one partner was killed and the other had to abandon the nest when hunger became unbearable.
The end of the trail had sesuvium plants displaying the deep red characteristic of the dry season. Along the cliff several nests of red footed boobies were spotted with chicks in different stages of development: one with baby down, others with feathered juveniles perched on top. Red footed boobies are the only ones with prehensile webbed feet that allow them to make a true nest above the ground. We ended the walk with a refreshing dip in the ocean.
Next we snorkeled at Kicker Rock, one the better places for the activity. This is what’s left of a huge tuff cone and has vertical drop offs going down 60 meters. We saw hammerhead, Galapagos and white tip reef sharks as well as several Pacific green turtles. Sundown was spent at the sun deck enjoying ceviche and a cocktail. Another wonderful day comes to an end in paradise.
