Reproduction

The blue footed boobies waddled from side to side rythmically in a circle around eachother, laying sticks at eachother's feet, from time to time clacking beaks, and spreading their wings while raising their beaks and tails high in the air to court their mates.

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Originally uploaded by Cameron/Duff.

The frigate bird males inflated a red balloon on their chests, and when a female flew by spread their wings and did a shimmy (pick me pick me). He brought his mate sticks and cooed at her letting her rub his head under his wing before she carefully placed the stick on the nest beneath her.

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Originally uploaded by Cameron/Duff.

The marine iguana dug her hole with feet and legs in which to leave her eggs to hatch or die of their own volition.

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Originally uploaded by Cameron/Duff.

The nazca booby brooded her eggs and preened the fluffy downy feathers of her young.

"I've never seen birds mate. What do they do? I'd like to see that" and a few minutes later- "Jan, quick, quick, they're doing it, bird sex, bird sex."

The land tortoises humped awkwardly and noisily. We thought ineffectually until we discovered the penis is actually at the end of their tails.

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Originally uploaded by Cameron/Duff.

So, this desire for reproduction is just part of biology, part of survival, all species procreate. Do these animals feel the complicated emotions we do around children or the lack thereof?

I was disturbed one day by a small baby shark swimming around on its own. Cameron said "Katie, sharks don't rear their young. They just lay eggs and that is that. Only mammals and birds take care of their babies."

A school of dolphins swam with the boat, and a small baby flanked the right, jumping and diving.

Three baby marine iguanas clung to the rocks. Still small enough to be food for hawks, only their instinct offered them protection.

Do animals who don't raise thier babies wonder about them? Do turtles frogs, iguanas, snakes, wonder if any of their offspring made it? Is there any emotion involved? Is there a concept of motherhood?

The mama sea lions suckled their babies, taught them to swim, snuggled with them on shore, and sometimes ignored them when they cried. I saw in them sometimes the tired new mother who reluctantly rises from sleep to comfort her crying new born, and the tender mother who responds with her whole being to her baby's cry.