A committed conservation photographer, Rick sat on the rocky shoreline of Fernandina Island, one of the most untouched ecosystems in the Galapagos archipelago. With camera ready, he patiently observed the untouched wilderness.
Rick's goal was to capture images that highlighted the plight of one of Earth’s most vulnerable species. Today’s quest focused on the flightless cormorant, a mysterious bird that defied evolution by abandoning the skies for the seas. These birds, exclusive to the Galapagos Islands, showcase both the wonder of natural selection and the vulnerability of isolation.
With the growing light, Rick noticed movement by the water’s edge. Surrounded by the rough, black lava rocks, a couple of flightless cormorants initiated their distinctive morning rituals.
Rick peered through his camera lens, focusing on the birds’ vestigial wings that were mere echoes of their ancestors' majestic appendages. He noted their oversized, webbed feet, which transformed them into exceptional swimmers. He was fascinated by the turquoise eyes of these magnificent birds.
Situated in this almost alien landscape, the birds took on the guise of ancient beings - living relics from a distant past. Together, the two birds engaged in a delicate ballet of intertwining necks. Rick cautiously approached, making sure not to disturb the birds, while the camera shutter clicked. Each photograph was more than art; it was a plea for awareness, a snapshot of a disappearing world. Rick hoped his images would serve as inspiration for young readers to treasure and conserve these incredible creatures.
With the sun ascending, the cormorants elegantly plunged into the frigid waters to commence their daily hunt for eels and octopuses. Rick preserved every moment, from their clumsy walks on the shore to their graceful dives into the waves. Their existence was a poignant paradox - birds unable to fly yet gliding through the deep water to the sea grass beds far below.
After spending hours observing and taking photos, Rick packed up his equipment and set off on the trek back to the dinghy that had brought him to this place. Rick took in his surroundings. He was in awe of the vast, undulating ocean, the volcanic peaks rising in the distance, and the incredible silence of a place untouched by human hands.
Once back on the boat, Rick was eager to examine the images he had taken, each one revealing a different aspect of the cormorants’ tale. A children’s picture book would soon reveal the story of these flightless birds to the world, capturing both the beauty and hardships of life in one of the planet’s most desolate, yet beautiful, locations.
Rick’s quest went beyond just taking photographs. It was a calling to use imagery as a universal language, advocating for conservation.
As the boat moved further from the island, Rick’s bond with the flightless cormorants of Fernandina endured, captured in photographs and fueled by his passion for wildlife. Transformed into illustrations for a children’s picture book, the photographs he had taken would endure forever as a challenge to the world to observe, care for, and take action to protect habitats and vulnerable species.
In that moment, the title of a children’s picture book came to Rick’s mind - “Norman Wants To Fly.”
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