On the third day of our expedition we reached the southernmost tip of the Galapagos, Floreana Island. Floreana is also known as the “island of mysteries” - some extraordinary events happened here in the 1930’s when some of the local inhabitants died in unclear circumstances.
We had an early wake-up call to enjoy the sunrise, and then took a moderately-paced walk on an easy trail to a brackish water lagoon to view the local birdlife. We then continued to the other side of a tuff cone, where a second beach is located, this one with white sand and sea turtle nesting sites. Several hundred sting rays live here permanently and can be seen under the breakers along the beach. Then it was back on board for a full breakfast before continuing on with our day on this beautiful island.
Around mid-morning, and after a short navigation, we reached Champion Island and took a Zodiac ride to look for animals such as sea lions, boobies, shearwaters, and red-billed tropic birds, among others. But the one that deserved a little more attention was a species of mockingbird that became extinct on the main island due to predators. Only a few survived here on this island. We saw a few unexpectedly close so we are happy they’re still with us.
Our next outing was snorkeling in one of the most beautiful locations here due to the presence of multiple species of fish and other creatures. One of them is the playful Galapagos sea lion that was available to give us some of the best moments of the session. Large schools of attractive fish of many kinds also make this place very unique.
Some guests then departed for kayaking around small islands usually teaming with wildlife, while others disembarked to spend time on the beach at Post Office Bay. Later the rest of the guests joined and all together we visited the old mail barrel used by many generations of whales to facilitate communication with home. This tradition still works today and is very well-known among visitors to the Galapagos Islands. It’s both fun and effective! All you do is go there and read through the letters in the mail barrel. If one is meant to end up near where you live, you take it home with you and hand-deliver it the old-fashioned way. Its fun and no stamps are needed!
The last activity of the day was a Zodiac ride around some rocky islands for interesting wildlife, with sunset giving out the last warming rays of a phenomenal expedition on this island.
