After a beautiful overnight sail from Mazatlan, we dropped anchor at Isla Isabel just after sunrise Feb6. There was only one other boat in the anchorage at that time (our friends, Eric & Kimberly on Gladiator), which is good, because it is a small anchorage. After breakfast, we inflated our new kayaks and headed for the beach.
Fishermen have working camps on the beach, coming and going frequently. They mostly kept to themselves, but were very friendly when we approached them. There is also a camp of naturalists studying the island and its unique bird colonies.
This is one of the few places supporting a large population of Blue Footed Boobies because it is isolated and has few predators that would disturb their nests on the ground.
Both parents tend the nest, switching off and bringing food. I am told females are bigger than males, but I can’t really tell the difference except that the females cluck and the males whistle.
When courting, he does a slow dance, lifting one foot, then the other, then doing a deep bow, with his tail straight up. The most desirable males have the brightest blue feet.
The island also has thousands of Magnificent Frigates that nest in the short trees. They can have a wingspan of up to 8 ft and are the largest of all frigate birds. The male has a large red gular sac. The females have a white breast and are larger than the males
They nest in large groups in short trees so that the nests are often at, or below, our eye level.
The island also has a population of iguanas. None of the animals are scared of humans and the Boobies often nest on and around the trails so that you have no choice but to walk within a couple feet of their nest. They watch you carefully, but mostly stay on the nest.
We also climbed a few hills of this steep volcanic island and had great views of the harbor and the Pacific.
Before long, more boats arrived and the anchorage did fill up and got a bit tight. After two great days of hiking and two quiet nights at anchor, we left about 8am Feb8, heading for San Blas on the mainland, about 40 miles east.