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 may giggle at the name blue-footed booby, 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 will dive from the air, fold in its wings and shoot under the ocean’s surface like a missile. Once submerged, the booby can swim for short periods—just long enough to grab a fish and take flight again.