Today is our second full day in the Galápagos National Park, aboard the National Geographic Endeavour. Floreana Island, one of the most historical places in the Galápagos, was our visiting site for the whole day. The island is so well preserved that just seems like we are turning back time and seeing exactly what Darwin saw, when he arrived at this place in 1835.
Early in the morning, at sunrise, most guests left the ship to explore Cormorant Point, named for a ship that sank in the area, called the Cormorant. The weather and the design of the trail made this experience an unforgettable one for all of us. We went from a beautiful inorganic sandy beach full of olivine crystals, to a white sandy beach, made out of fragments of white coral, and along the trail we visited a brackish water lagoon with lots of caribbean flamingos and a nice view point.
Later in the morning, after our well-deserved breakfast, we took a Zodiac ride, followed by a deep water snorkeling excursion at Champion Islet, located off the northern coast of Floreana. The water condition were very good, and many new species of fish were seen, as well as many inquisitives sea lions.
In the afternoon, we offered both a Zodiac ride and kayaking, allowing us to explore several small islets and rocks with many sea bird species and sea lions. Shortly afterwards, we landed at the famous Post Office Bay, and followed the traditions that have been around for over two centuries. This area is probably one of the oldest mailing systems in the south pacific, and started when whalers set up an old barrel over a pol to create a mail box, which they used to collect letters to be hand delivered by anyone who was heading back to England. Our guests found many post cards from other visitors, which were addressed near their home towns, so they promised to hand deliver them when returning back to their country. The tradition continues!
