Floreana is a fascinating island for it has a delightful mixture of history, nature and conservation efforts. We started our day disembarking at 6:30 at Punta Cormorant. We had a walk that took us to a white coralline beach. On the way we found some Blue footed boobies performing their courtship dance and we were able to spot at a distance some Greater flamingos. On the white beach we observed many sea turtles’ nests.
We returned to our home away from home for the week, the National Geographic Islander, for a well-deserved breakfast. After it we got ready for a Zodiac ride along the coast of Champion Islet. We were looking for one of the rarest birds in the world, the elusive (and critically endangered) Floreana mockingbird. After searching all over the coast intensively, we encountered a few of these rare birds. Even though these birds are so uncommon, the Galápagos sea lions were the ones that stole the show once again. These delightful marine mammals with all their pirouettes and acrobatic maneuvers made us laugh. Something remarkable happened today, a curious marine iguana climbed up to one of the Zodiacs that was in the area. It was an amusing and extraordinary event that was captured in many photographs.
Later in the morning we snorkeled around Champion Islet. Our fearless snorkelers jumped in to find huge schools of tropical fish, playful juvenile Galápagos sea lions, and even a couple of white-tipped reef sharks. The conditions we had today for snorkeling could not have been better. The water was very clear and the ocean was not that choppy. What a treat!
In the afternoon, our program included a couple of kayaking outings. Kayakers found the calm waters of Post Office Bay to be a perfect place to practice their skills and admire the wildlife found around this place.
Later on in the afternoon we had a chance to land at Post Office Bay. Behind a small, quiet beach one can find a barrel nailed to a post, amidst countless memorabilia left by passing visiting boats. This is what is known as the famous Post Office Barrel, considered the oldest mailing system on this side of the Pacific Ocean. Established around 1793, it is still kept active by the many visitors to the islands. Letters or postcards are placed inside the barrel, which will eventually be hand delivered by future visitors to this place, no stamps needed following the tradition just as in the old times. Today we found postcards and letters inside the barrel addressed to many places all over the world.
At sunset we came back to the ship to talk and share sightings and anecdotes during cocktail hour. The magic of the Galápagos touched all of us today. It has been a day that will stay in our hearts and minds for a long time.
