Española Island formed 3-5 million years ago through volcanic activity. Over time, it has become home to unique wildlife, including the Galapagos sea lions and waved albatross. The island’s unique ecology and isolated location allowed these species to evolve distinct characteristics.
7/21/2024
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National Geographic Islander II
Floreana Island
We awoke to the view of a calm Post Office Bay where whalers and seafarers left their correspondence behind at the oldest mailing system in the Americas, established in 1792. After visiting Post Office Bay, we had breakfast and got ready to explore the underwater world of the Galapagos by going on a deep-water snorkeling outing around Champion Islet (a satellite islet of Floreana). We saw plenty of playful Galapagos sea lion pups while snorkeling, as well as some whitetip reef sharks swimming along the coast and large species of fish. Some of us opted to go on a glass bottom Zodiac outing instead of snorkeling, and we all had a great time. After lunch, National Geographic Islander II repositioned to another visitor site, Floreana, this time anchoring right off the coast of Cormorant Point. We had a wet landing and went off to explore this location where we encountered American flamingos at a brackish coastal water lagoon. We also explored a beautiful white sandy beach which is a large nesting ground for Pacific green sea turtles.
