A blue-footed booby dives off San Cristóbal Island, Ecuador

© Tui De Roy/Minden Pictures

A blue-footed booby dives off San Cristóbal Island, Ecuador

Few creatures on Earth can claim to have conquered land, air, and sea. We might giggle at the blue-footed booby's name, but its hunting skills are no laughing matter. A booby may leave its perch, anywhere from Mexico to Ecuador, to glide over the waters of the Pacific, until it spots a school of sardines, anchovies, or other small fish. In a flash, the blue-footed booby dives from the air, folds in its wings, and shoots under the ocean’s surface like a missile. Once submerged, the booby can swim for a short period of time—just long enough to grab a fish and take flight again.