Strange New World Some of the most extraordinary animals Darwin
encountered were those living on isolated islands like the
Galápagos. Having lived for generations in a land free from
hunters, many had no fear of humans. This made them easy prey.
Darwin, who as a student at Cambridge had formed a club
dedicated to eating animals "unknown to human palate,"
cheerfully sampled the iguanas. He concluded, "These lizards,
when cooked, yield a white meat, which is liked by those whose
stomachs soar above all prejudices." Many Galápagos animals were
as strange as their surroundings, and they tended to blend with
the lava around them. A few, though, such as the blue-footed
booby and Sally lightfoot crab, had bright coloring; these were
typically migrants from the mainland. Named for a word meaning
"foolish person," boobies are known for their complete absence
of defensive behavior. Though awkward when walking, blue-footed
boobies are swift-flying seabirds that can dive from 80 feet and
snatch a flying fish out of mid-a