Today we visited Floreana Island, one of the oldest Islands of the archipelago, characterized by hundreds of volcanic cones. Floreana was one of the first Islands to be colonized by humans, therefore, it is a place with rich human history. These days Floreana harbors a small human settlement of less than 120 people.
Before breakfast we landed on Punta Cormorant in the northern part of Floreana. A brackish lagoon is the ideal habitat for a series of coastal birds, including flamingos, herons, and ducks.
Later we circumnavigated Champion Islet with our Zodiacs looking for the Floreana mockingbird, and this little islet, jointly with Gardner, is the last refuge for the Floreana mockingbird. We also observed swallowtail gulls, Nazca boobies, brown pelicans, and tropical birds. Before lunch we snorkeled around this islet and observed a great variety of tropical fish, including parrotfish, yellow tail surgeonfish, damselfish, and wrasses.
After lunch we visited Post Office Bay, an iconic place used by whalers to communicate with their families. We collected some postcards and distributed them among the passengers, so they can hand deliver the mail left by other travelers. Later we kayaked and paddle boarded and observed penguins, black tip and white tip sharks, eagle rays, and sea turtles.
