The Silver Squad Rides Again (the sequel to the 8-time award-winning The Silver Squad: Rebels With Wrinkles) was published today! Currently only available at Amazon, it will be available at bookstores everywhere on 3/31. Paperback: www.amazon.com/dp/B0GSH19ZC5 Kindle: www.amazon.com/dp/B0GSH7FMHS

Marty’s photo of the day #4989: Blue-footed boobies are accomplished divers that plunge into the ocean, reaching speeds of sixty miles-per-hour to catch fish. The blue in their feet comes from carotenoid pigments in their diet, signaling health to potential mates. #photography #birds #Galapagos

After posting a different Hood mockingbird image as today’s photo of the day, I found this shot, which I like even more. These mockingbirds are found only on Española Island (previously called Hood Island). They live in social groups where . . . (Tap ALT for full text.) #birds #photography

Marty’s photo of the day #4988: Hood mockingbirds are found only on Española Island. They live in social groups where the lower-ranking members help raise the young of the dominant pair. And as this photo shot without using a zoom demonstrates . . . (Tap ALT for full text.) #birds #photography

I have already posted several cute Galapagos sea lion pup photos and have dozens more to choose from. Can you stand another one? (Photographed last month in the Galapagos Islands.) #photography #nature #wildlife

Marty’s photo of the day #4987: This is a Pacific burrfish. Unlike pufferfish which have spines that lay flat, Pacific burrfish have short, thick, immovable spines that stick out all the time. And when threatened . . . (Tap ALT for full text.) #photography #nature #oceans #Galapagos

Marty’s photo of the day #4986: I photographed these white-cheeked pintail ducks as they were hanging out at a waterhole with Galapagos tortoises. These unique, non-migratory, ducks are found in the Galápagos . . . (Tap ALT for full text.) #birds #photography #nature

Marty’s photo of the day #4985: Supposedly, Sally Lightfoot crabs are named after a Caribbean dancer because of their nimble, light-footed movements. The actual human Sally Lightfoot is unknown. The crabs can squirt streams of water from . . . (Tap ALT for full text.) #photography #nature #oceans

Marty’s photo of the day #4984: Deb and I saw only one flamingo in the Galapagos Islands. Two if you count the reflection. (Photographed last month in the Galapagos Islands.) #birds #photography #nature #wildlife

During the past few weeks, I’ve concentrated on wildlife that is unique to the Galapagos Islands. Great blue herons aren’t unique to the islands, but I’ve never seen one extend its neck quite so far. (Photographed last month in the Galapagos Islands.) #photography #birds #nature #wildlife

Marty’s photo of the day #4983: It’s lunchtime for a young Galapagos sea lion. Worldwide, there are six species of sea lions, and of those, the Galapagos sea lions are the smallest. Females average 200 pounds; males average 550 pounds. #photography #nature #sealife

Marty’s photo of the day #4982: Colorful king angelfish stood out among the underwater life of the Galapagos Islands. They were difficult to photograph, however. If the water wasn’t perfectly clear, they’d look like they . . . (Tap ALT for full text.) #photography #nature #oceans

Marty’s photo of the day #4981: A group of Galapagos tortoises (also known as giant tortoises) that has stopped at a waterhole on their migration from the highlands to the lowlands. I really like the reflection on the water in this shot. #photogogaphy #nature #Galapagos

Marty’s photo of the day #4980: An exhausted green sea turtle makes it ashore after hours of “waterbed sex.” (Photographed last month in the Galapagos Islands.) #photography #nature #herps #galapagos

Marty’s photo of the day #4979: This is a finescale triggerfish. They can swim forward, backward, or hover by rippling their dorsal and anal fins. They have 8 strong teeth in each jaw, allowing them to crush sea urchins, crustaceans, and mollusks. . . (Tap ALT for full text.) #photography #oceans

I never expected to see snakes on the Galapagos Islands. In fact, one book I read before the trip said the islands had a few small snakes but seeing them was extremely rare. As I’ve learned during my travels, I seldom find snakes when . . . (Tap ALT for full text.) #photography #nature #herps

Marty’s photo of the day #4978: The Galapagos Islands reminded me of my visit to Antarctica, because the wildlife of both places have no fear of humans. I was sitting on a beach when this yellow warbler approached within inches of me. #photography #birds #nature #wildlife

This photo is only possible in the Galapagos Islands: a brown pelican, next to Galapagos penguins, next to Sally Lightfoot crabs. #photography #nature

Marty’s photo of the day #4977: It’s Monday, and the Middle Eastern religions are fighting each other again. One would think Darwin and critical thinking would have ended this madness. So while the religions do what they’ve done since humans . . . (Tap ALT for full text.) #photography #birds

Up close with a large school of razor surgeonfish in the Galapagos Islands. #nature #oceans #photography #sealife

Marty’s photo of the day #4976: This was my favorite moment of last month’s Galapagos Islands trip. There are strict rules about not touching wildlife. However, the animals don’t have any rules. I was on my knees, photographing a group of . . . (Tap ALT for full text.) #photography #nature

My wife and I were on the Nemo III catamaran, and like every other boat in the islands we were traveling via engine-power. At the beginning of the trip, I had requested that the crew put up the sails at least once. They waited until sunset on my birthday—and made it my present. #photography #oceans

Marty’s photo of the day #4975: It doesn’t matter whether I see American oystercatchers in the Galapagos Islands or somewhere else, they always catch my attention. They are such beautiful birds. (Photographed earlier this month in the Galapagos Islands.) #birds #photography #oceans

Marty’s photo of the day #4974: Despite shooting more than 3,600 photos earlier this month in the Galapagos Islands, I thought I had fucked up and failed to get even one quality photo from multiple encounters with white-tipped reef sharks. Then I discovered I overlooked this one. #photography #ocean

Another expressive Galapagos sea lion face. (Photographed earlier this month in the Galapagos Islands.) #photography #nature

Marty’s photo of the day #4973: The Galapagos Islands are home to three species of boobies: the blue-footed booby, the Nazca booby, and the red-footed booby. When Deb and I were there earlier this month, we spent time with the first two boobies. This photo features a Nazca booby. #birds #photography

Marty’s photo of the day #4972: Earlier this month, Deb and I spent the night in a treehouse along the migration route of the Galapagos tortoises (also known as giant tortoises) on Santa Cruz island. Their migration from . . . (Tap ALT for full text.) #photography #nature #wildlife

Marty’s photo of the day #4971: Look closely. The lighter-colored center of this photo is a pacific leopard flounder! At about 15 inches full-grown, these fish can instantly change their color and pattern to match . . . (Tap ALT for full text.) #photography #sealife #oceans

Marty’s photo of the day #4970: Look closely. It’s a lava heron on lava, and it just caught a fish. (Photographed earlier this month in the Galapagos Islands.) #birds #photography

Marty’s photo of the day #4969: The Galapagos Islands have land iguanas and marine iguanas. Both evolved from a common ancestor some 8 million years ago. This is a land iguana, of which there are 3 distinct species. With a lifespan . . . (Tap ALT for full text.) #photography #nature #wildlife

Marty’s photo of the day #4968: While the Galapagos Islands didn’t have the underwater species diversity of other places I’ve snorkeled, it made up for less diversity by producing massive schools of fish. . . . (Tap ALT for full text.) #photography #nature #oceans #sealife

Marty’s photo of the day #4967: Normally, I wouldn’t go out of my way to photograph finches, but on the Galapagos Islands, Darwin’s finches are special because they helped Charles Darwin formulate his theory of evolution by natural selection. . . . (Tap ALT for full text.) #birds #photography

I’ve received multiple requests for more Galapagos sea lion pup photos. Sure, I can do that! (Photographed earlier this month in the Galapagos Islands.) #nature #photography

Marty’s photo of the day #4966: The Galapagos penguins are squawking that I haven’t featured them for a photo of the day yet. These are the rarest penguins in the world (less than 2,000) and the only penguin species that lives in the tropics. . . . (Tap ALT for full text.) #birds #photography

Here’s the cover reveal for the sequel to my eight-time award-winning novel "The Silver Squad: Rebels With Wrinkles." The publication date will be sometime in March. #Books #BookSky #Librarysky #author #writer #writing #novels #fiction #publibs #humor

Marty’s photo of the day #4965: I took several photos in the Galapagos Islands that I consider particularly artsy. These swallow-tailed gulls fit into that category. I think this image looks more like a painting than an actual photograph. #birds #photography #nature #art #travel

I shot lots of Galapagos sea lion photos earlier this month, so you can expect them to pop up on my posts from time to time. Still, I wish I’d shot more. I mean, is it possible to create too many images of these cuties—especially the young ones? #photography #wildlife #nature

Marty’s photo of the day #4964: No serious wildlife photographer goes to the Galapagos Islands without coming home with way too many blue-footed booby photos. This isn’t my best booby photo, but it’s the only one I have showing the mating dance. . . . (Tap ALT for full text.) #birds #photography

Marty’s photo of the day #4963: During the past 10 years, I’ve snorkeled the Sea of Cortez, Bonaire, Belize, the Raja Ampat, and the Galapagos Islands. All had interesting and unique features. Where the Galapagos Islands excelled . . . (Click ALT for full text.) #photography #sealife #oceans

Warning: If you stand long enough on a beach in the Galapagos Islands, you’ll get the crabs. #nature #photography #beaches

Marty’s photo of the day #4962: Annie: “Now, I want you to breathe through your eyelids?” Nuke: “My eyelids?” Annie: “Yeah, like the lava lizards of the Galapagos Islands. See, there are some lizards . . . (Click ALT for full text.) #nature #photography #bulldurham #herps #Galapagos

Marty’s photo of the day #4961: So, I shot green sea turtle porn while visiting the Galapagos Islands. Copulation can take several hours, with the female supporting the male’s weight and swimming to the surface for air. . . . (Click ALT for full text.) #photography #oceans #nature #sealife #herp

Marty’s photo of the day #4960: When it comes to underwater photography, one advantage the Galapagos Islands has over locations with coral reefs is that its lack of coral entices many interesting and colorful fish to hang out among the volcanic . . . (Tap ALT for full text.) #photography #oceans

Marty’s photo of the day #4959: Deb and I spent the night in a treehouse along the migration route of the Galapagos tortoises on Santa Cruz island. Their migration from the humid highlands to the dry lowlands is only about five miles, but . . . (Click ALT for full text.) #photography #nature

Eventually I will get to more spectacular underwater photos, but this shot demonstrates the difference between what I had posted previously from the Raja Ampat of New Guinea and what I will be posting in the coming weeks from the Galapagos Islands. (Click ALT for full text.) #photography #oceans

Marty’s photo of the day #4958: You are looking at Christmas tree marine iguanas (also known as Española marine iguanas) making more Christmas tree marine iguanas. These lizards are a subspecies found only on Española island. While most . . . (Click ALT for complete text) #photography #nature

Marty’s photo of the day #4957: This is a fledgling Galapagos albatross. When full-grown, these critically endangered birds have a wingspan of up to eight feet. This albatross isn’t yet ready to fly, but when it does, it will . . . (Click ALT for complete text.) #birds #nature #photography #IUCN

Deb and I are still on our way home from the Galapagos Islands. We’ve had four long flights so far and will soon board our final flight. Are you ready for a Galapagos sea lion kiss? If you saw the cute sea lion photo I posted earlier today, here’s the next photo in the sequence. #photography #oceans

Marty’s photo of the day #4956: I'm returning home from an adventure in the Galapagos Islands that exceeded my expectations. I shot thousands photos of the amazing wildlife. This cute sea lion greeted me on one of my shore landings. Wait ‘til you see the sea lion pups! #photography #nature #oceans

This will be my last post for a while. Deb and I are on an adventure, but I can’t say where or for how long. Details to come. In the meantime, here is my favorite reef-scape photo from this past November in the Raja Ampat of Indonesian New Guinea. Note the bluespotted ribbontail ray near the center.