I know, its a corny title..... but hopefully it made you look!
Photo: jacintha castora photography, kindly supplied by Galapagos Conservation Trust
Today is Blue Footed Booby Day, a day to celebrate and raise funds to help protect these amusing birds and their most famous habitat, the Galapagos Islands. I was lucky enough to see blue footed boobies when I visited the Galapagos 5 years ago - an absolutely incredible opportunity that surely is a dream for anyone who loves wildlife. It has given me so many precious memories that I will value for the rest of my life, just as I had hoped.
So you may be surprised to learn that I did wonder whether I ought to go to the Galapagos - surely no-one in their right mind would turn down a chance like that? However, I am conscious that the Galapagos are a delicate ecosystem, and the biggest threat to the balance of that ecosystem is us. People. Invasive species such as rats, pollution, over fishing .... we are responsible for them all. Just being there adds to the impact on the environment. But tourism is a vital source of income that helps protect the natural wonders of those iconic islands too. Like most things in life, its not a black and white situation. (Or blue and white for that matter...)
This applies just as much to the seas that surround our shores, which contain an amazing array of fascinating seaife too. Protecting our natural wonders is pitted against our (ever growing) need for food, work, transport, and resources. It's is a huge, huge task to safeguard our sealife, but lots of small steps by lots of people make a big difference. You can choose sustainable seafood, organise a beach litter pick, sign our seabird pledge, and inspire others to do the same, to name but a few. So for boobies and basking sharks, sealions and seals, penguins and puffins, show some support for sealife today.