2013-04-04 
【Aiden in English】
North Seymour Island in the Galapagos was formed through a series of lava uplifts that originally erupted underwater, as evidenced by the discovery of marine fossils on its plateau, surrounded by low cliffs. These sporadic uplifts took more than a million years to elevate the island to its present level, and it is now home to an abundance of diverse wildlife. After lunch, we lined up for deep-sea snorkeling around North Seymour Island. My partner was another boy named Xander from California, US. He looked enthusiastic in my age bracket and had a sense of humor. We knew each other through jokes. During our shore excursions, we shared new jokes, discussed our school life, and joked about video games. Before we knew it, we were jumping over the Zodiac's sides into the Pacific Ocean. Numerous fish-populated boulders were covered with algae, sea urchins, cucumbers, and slipper lobsters. A fur seal jumped into the cool water and followed us, scaring off the fish. After it got boring, we saw a school of fish come back. Scythe butterflyfish of all sizes paraded out of cracks while giant damselfish slowly swam along the rocks. Bullseye puffer floated luxuriously, and trumpetfish darted casually among tiny pilotfish. A white-tipped reef shark then came into view, making several people scream. We ended it with four reef coral fish dashing around. After quickly changing clothes, we headed for bird watching on N. Seymour Island. A land iguana ate the opuntia on the evening trail and snaked across our path. It dragged its long tail, leaving a long line of footprints. A swallow-tailed gull with red eyes peeped from the nests, which meant she had a chick aside. Due to the dense vegetation on low and flat ground, North Seymour became home to the largest colonies of two species in the Galapagos: magnificent and great frigates. In early April, it fell into the breeding season for the frigate birds. Male frigates croaked with their dazzling red inflated pouch, attracting females with white necks. A large population of blue-footed boobies nested here, Boobyell. Mr. blue-footed Booby danced, whistled in high pitch, walked with exaggerated steps, and unfolded their wings for Miss blue-footed booby. Booby, A common cactus finch, built its nest in the prickly pears and chirped happily as we left the island. North Seymour Island was a unique "living museum and showcase of evolution." 【紅霞譯】 加拉帕戈斯“巨龜”群島北西摩“黑皮膚”島是由海底火山爆發後熔岩向海平面凸起所形成的島嶼，整個造山運動前後持續了至少一萬年，島上岩礁發現有海洋生物化石的存在，為上述推論提供了佐證。目前，這裡已成為天然野生動物的家園。 吃罷午餐，我們列隊去北西摩島附近海域作深海潛水，同行的還有另外一位名叫山大“人類捍衛者”的男孩，他來自美國加州並與我同齡，不但精力充沛，而且非常風趣，只要一起出遊，我倆就有說有樂，要麼搬出笑話講給對方聽，要麼交流學校里發生的趣聞軼事，要麼乾脆拿遊戲開涮。
轉眼間大家一起從快艇上跳入太平洋，水中魚翔淺底，海藻海膽棲息岩礁，海參扇蝦固守珊瑚，正如唐代詩人柳宗元《至小丘西小石潭記》中所描述的那樣：“日光下澈，影布石上，怡然不動，俶爾遠逝，往來翕忽，似與游者相樂。” 皮毛海獅扎猛鑽進涼爽的海水，跟在我們屁股後面游來游去，一下子嚇跑了身邊不少魚友。
皮毛海獅剛剛離去，魚群隨即蜂擁而至。“眼似真珠鱗似金，時時動浪出還沉 ”。各種大小的鐮刀蝴蝶魚一齊從石縫裡竄了出來，列隊遊行浩浩蕩蕩；長背小葉齒鯛遊走在岩石之間，你追我趕興頭正高；彩虹狗頭四仰八叉漂浮海面，悠閒地享受無限風光；管口魚跟小鯖魚混得爛熟，隨便出入朋友陣營，不知什麼時候，白尖礁鯊突現眼前，頓時引起一片驚慌。“日暮紫鱗躍，圓波處處生”。上岸之前，四條棘煙管魚主動跑過來跟我們膩歪了好一陣子。
潛水結束後，我們趕緊更衣，掉頭便登上北西摩島，實地參觀野生動物生態環境。
走在北西摩島平坦的小路上，陸生鬣蜥一邊嚼着仙人掌，一邊朝我們緩緩爬來，長長的尾巴後面留下了串串腳印。 長着一對紅眼眶的燕尾鷗虎目圓睜，站在鳥巢里密切注視我們的動向，顯然，她為了保護自己身邊剛出世的寶寶。 因為灌木叢生，再加上地勢低矮平緩，北西摩島一舉成為加拉帕戈斯群島兩種壯麗軍艦鳥和大軍艦鳥最大的繁殖地。眼下四月初，正值軍艦鳥繁殖季節，公軍艦鳥求偶時，脖子上鼓起的大紅喉袋是吸引白脖子異性的重要法寶。 大量藍腳鰹鳥同樣喜歡在此安家落戶。擇友交配前，鰹鳥先生一定要靠跳舞唱歌、高抬闊步、頻扇羽翼等表現手段來博取鰹鳥小姐的歡欣。 仙人掌地雀將鳥窩搭建在長滿荊棘尖刺的仙人掌樹上，見我們離去，歡快地放聲高歌。 北西摩島真是獨一無二的“生物進化博物館和活體標本陳列室”。 Today in History(歷史上的今天):
2013: Bachas Beach, Ecuador(厄瓜多爾駁船海灘) 2012: 憶淮濱(In Memory of Huaibin) 2011: 埃及教長灣—和平之城(Sharm El-Sheikh the City of Peace, Egypt) 2011: 埃及亞歷山大—地中海明珠(Alexandria—Pearl of the Mediterranean, Egypt) 2009: 玩具(Toys)  Lunch @ Celebrity Xpedition
(“名人·遠征”號遊輪——午餐 04-04-2013)  North Seymour Is, Birdwatching Paradise & Marine Life Encounters
(北西摩島·觀鳥天堂和邂逅海洋生物 04-04-2013)  Deep Water Snorkeling (深水區浮潛 04-04-2013)
Tropical Fish (熱帶魚)
 Sea Cucumber (海參)
 Sea Lion (海獅)
 Burito Grunt (異孔石鱸)
 Guineafowl Puffer (白點叉鼻魨)
 Razor Surgeonfish (側棒多板盾尾魚)
Razor Surgeonfish (側棒多板盾尾魚) 
Razor Surgeonfish (側棒多板盾尾魚)  Spotfin Burrfish (斑鰭短刺魨)
 Land Iguana, Primarily Herbivorous
(陸鬣蜥·主要食草 04-04-2013)
 Land Iguana, the Cold-Blooded
(陸鬣蜥·冷血動物 04-04-2013)  Land Iguanas, Heat-Absorbed from Sunbath on Volcanic Rock & Heat-Conserved in Burrows from Sleep at Night
(陸鬣蜥·白天在火山岩上曬太陽取暖，晚上在洞穴里睡覺以保留身體熱量)
 North Seymour Habitat (北西摩島生態地貌 04-04-2013)
Magnificent Frigates' Kleptoparasitism, Pirates of the Air for Harassing Other Seabirds to Steal Their Food (莊麗軍艦鳥盜寄生·因騷擾別的海鳥並搶奪其食物而冠以“空中海盜”) 
Male Magnificent Frigate w/ Feathers on Gular Sac (壯麗軍艦鳥·喉囊上帶有羽毛)  Magnificent Frigates, the Largest Wingspan to Body Weight Ratio of Any Bird in the World
(壯麗軍艦鳥·擁有世上所有鳥類中最大的翼展與體重之比 04-04-2013)  Magnificent Frigatebirds' Unique Adaptations, Primarily Stealing Food Rather Than Diving for It due to Lack of Waterproof Feathers
(壯麗軍艦鳥獨特的適應性·因為沒有防水羽毛，所有主要靠偷食而非潛水尋找食物 04-04-2013)  Magnificent Frigate Juvenile (壯麗軍艦鳥幼仔)
Mom Lava Gull & Chick (熔岩鷗媽與幼雛)  Lava Gull Juvenile (小熔岩鷗)
 Lava Gull in Flight (飛行的熔岩鷗)
 Lava Gull, the Rarest on Earth
(熔岩鷗·世上最罕見的海鷗) 
Blue-footed Booby, Distinctive Coloring in Neck, Head, & Beak （藍腳鰹鳥·脖子頭部Booby有不同) 
Blue-footed Booby,Brightnesss of the Feet Decreases w/ Age (藍腳鰹鳥·腳的亮度會隨着年齡的增長而降低) 
Blue-Footed Booby, a Symbol of Creativity & Dreaming (藍腳鰹鳥·象徵創造力和夢想) 
The Blue-Footed Boobie, a male, displays his feet in an elaborate mating ritual by lifting them up and down while strutting before the female. (雄性走在雌性前面，藉助上下抬腳以示求愛) 
Blue-Footed Booby, Displaying w/ Sky-Pointing (藍腳鰹鳥·指向天空求愛方式) 
Male Blue-Footed Booby w/ Courtship Display in Front of a Female (公藍腳鰹鳥向母藍腳鰹鳥的求愛展示) 
Male Blue-Footed Booby in Another Way of Displaying by Raising a Foot (公藍腳鰹鳥的另一種求愛方式·抬腳)
Mating Ritual: Lifting Back-Body up and down & Raising Foot (求愛儀式：上下撅尾巴與抬腳) 
Male w/ a Smaller Pupil, Slightly Lighter Feet, & Smaller in Size Than the Female (雄性比雌性瞳孔小、腳板輕、體型小)  Galápagos Islands Xeric Scrub (加拉帕戈斯群島旱生灌叢)
Opuntia Forest (神仙掌林 04-04-2013) 
Fitch's Nest on Opuntia (神仙掌上燕雀窩)  Opuntia (神仙掌)
 Opuntia Flower (神仙掌花)
 Palo Santo w/ Traditional Uses in Spiritual & Healing Practices
(聖木·傳統上用於心靈療愈)
Dinner w/ Roast Suckling Pig @ @ Celebrity Xpedition (“名人·遠征”號遊輪晚餐——烤乳豬)
Crosslinks(相關博文):
2013: San Critobal's Kicker Rock/Witch Hill(巨龜群島睡獅岩女巫嶺)
2013: San Cristobal's Frigatebird Hill(巨龜群島克里斯托瓦爾島·軍艦鳥山) 2013: St Cruz's Bachas Beach, Galapagos(巨龜群島聖克魯斯島·巴查斯海灘) 2013: Bartolome Is Pinnacled in Galapagos(巨龜群島巴托洛梅島·尖峰岩) 2013: Santiego's Sullivan Bay, Galapagos(巨龜群島聖地亞哥島·蘇利文灣) 2013: Isabella Is, the Largest & Wildest(伊莎貝拉島·巨龜群島最大最野) 2013: Rabida Is w/ Red Beaches, Galapagos(巨龜群島拉比達島·紅沙灘) 2013: Santiego's James Bay, Galapagos(巨龜群島聖地亞哥島·詹姆斯灣) 2013: Baltra & Daphine Is, Galapagos(巨龜群島巴爾特拉島和達芙妮島) Ecuador(出遊厄瓜多爾)
South America(漂流南美洲) 小學四年級(4th Grade) | 
