Floreana Island, 11/10/2024, National Geographic Islander II
Aboard the
National Geographic Islander II
Galápagos
We spent the day on Floreana Island, one of the central islands of the Galapagos. In the morning, we visited Post Office Bay followed by impressive snorkeling at Champion Islet.
In the afternoon, we visited Cormorant Point, a great place where we observed sea turtles and several species of seabirds, including blue-footed boobies.
Javier grew up on Santa Cruz island where his grandparents first arrived in the 1940´s. Veritable pioneers, his grandparents settled in the highlands where they found a place to raise their children.
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Today we had an exceptional day exploring two of the most iconic islands of the Galápagos. In the morning, we disembarked at Seymour Norte where we explored some muddy trails looking for wildlife. There was plenty to see, including many land iguanas, as well as frigatebirds, which became the highlight after seeing males with their red pouches inflated to attract the females. In the afternoon, we went for a stroll along the lagoon, and to our surprise, we saw a large group of flamingos gathered. Our guests were delighted with this unique opportunity to observe and photograph these magnificent birds in the wild. It was a truly wonderful day for everyone here in the Galápagos.
The first full day in the Galapagos Islands was mesmerizing, starting early in the morning with a colorful rainbow. There were lots of different activities on Santa Cruz Island, the most populated of the archipelago. Our first stop was at El Trapiche Ranch, a unique destination where we learned about the production of coffee, cocoa, and moonshine in an artisanal way. The owner of this ranch, Mr. Adriano, guided us through this magical place, talking about not only the production, but also the human history of the islands and how the first people who arrived in the Galapagos lived. Our second visit was the Gemelos, a striking geological formation composed of two large pit craters, formed by the collapse of volcanic lava chambers. This beautiful site was perfect for observing different species of Darwin’s finches. At noon, a delicious lunch was waiting for us at El Manzanillo Ranch, surrounded by the magnificent Galapagos giant tortoises. As soon as we finished lunch, we had a fantastic time walking beside this unique and huge reptile.
Today our guests had the opportunity to visit San Cristóbal Island, one of the oldest islands at about 4 million years old. We visited Punta Pitt very early in the morning where we disembarked on its incredible green-sand beach. Soon after, we hiked along a tuff cone volcano’s trail where our guests saw the three species of boobies that inhabit the Galapagos. The highlight was the red-footed boobies that we saw for the first time. After the hike, our guests had time to relax and snorkel from the beach. In the afternoon, our guests enjoyed beautiful Cerro Brujo Beach, considered one of the top 10 best beaches in the world to visit. Cerro Brujo, with its turquoise waters, allowed us to relax and enjoy the ocean and the unique wildlife. And finally, to end this incredible day, we sailed around Kicker Rock where our guests said goodbye to this beautiful island on the southeast side of the archipelago.
