Floreana was the first island in the archipelago to be colonized when the Ecuadoran flag was first planted on this group of volcanic islands in 1832. Located in the south central part of the Galapagos, this small island is surrounded by smaller islets.
Our full-day exploration of Floreana began early in the morning at Punta Cormorant, where early risers enjoyed a walk along a raised path that took them to a brackish lagoon where they spotted a group of elegant pink flamingos feeding. All the guests then convened on the other side of Punta Cormorant to explore a white-sand beach, where Pacific green sea turtles come every year to lay their eggs.
After a delicious breakfast, we boarded Zodiacs for a ride along the coast of Champion Islet located off the north coast of Floreana. We are on a mission to find a rare species of mockingbird. The once healthy population of mockingbirds endemic to Floreana was threatened with extinction by invasive species. Fortunately, a few specimens managed to cross the gap separating Champion and Floreana. Happily, we were able to spot a few Floreana mockingbirds, the last of their species.
Our next activity was snorkeling in one of the most remarkable snorkeling areas of the archipelago. Our adventure on Floreana ended with more Zodiac rides and kayaking at La loberia, another fantastic visitor site.
