GALAPAGOS SEABIRDS

Largely devoid of land-bound predators, the Galapagos Islands are truly a haven for seabirds. Hundreds of small, uninhabited islands provide nesting grounds and rich oceanic waters provide plenty of food for raising hungry chicks. Five species of seabirds in the Galapagos are found nowhere else, while others are found in greater abundance here than any other place. The islands are home to the world's biggest colonies of boobies and one island supports a colony of hundreds of thousands of storm petrels. For seabirds, the importance of the Galapagos for species conservation cannot be overstated.