At one point, there were almost twenty masked boobies following our ship through the tropical waters of the Atlantic and Caribbean, chasing flying fish and diving for other fish that swim close to the surface. Flying fish don’t actually fly. They flick their lower tail fins around 50-60 times a second to generate the lift to get them out of the water. They then extend their pectoral fins and ‘fly’ across the surface of the water hoping to escape predators. The boobies follow the ship in anticipation of an easy meal, chasing the fish along the surface and, sometimes, back into the water. It’s fascinating and I spend hours just watching the action. Here, adults and immatures are pictured.
Click Image to Enlarge