Floreana Island
This morning we woke up with a soft glow of orange light at sunrise. We went early to visit the Post Office Barrel and found a very old wooden barrel and a lot of items like bones, shoes, flags, pieces of wood or plaques with names of people, universities, groups of friends, and names of boats as well as the year to record their visit to the Galápagos Islands. Later we went on a Zodiac ride to a site named “La Loberia” where lots of sea lions pups were playing. Some female sea lions were leaving their colonies early in the morning to go fishing and frigate birds and pelicans were perching on mangrove trees. We found a great blue heron near a tide pool and we had an exciting encounter with a penguin swimming at great speed.
We came back on board for a well-deserved breakfast and prepared for our next excursion, which was an incredible snorkeling outing around Champion Islet. We found a spotted eagle ray, a banded yellow sand star, a blue sea star, and dozens of young Galápagos sea lions who came to play with us. Later we went for a Zodiac ride around Champion Islet where we encountered the rare Charles mockingbirds. Several tiny islets off Floreana are the only places in the world where they are found.
After a good lunch and a siesta on the Islander, we went snorkeling around Devil’s Crown. This islet is the remains of a submerged crater. The guests found schools of black-stripped snappers, parrotfish, yellow tail razor fish and many other reef fish. Other guests went to the beach to relax and snorkel in shallow waters. At 4:00 pm we started our walk at Punta Cormorant. The beach here is made of green olivine sand. We walked along a short, easy trail and found a group of dozens of flamingos feeding. Later as we crossed an isthmus on the longer walk, and we spotted a nest with a flamingo chick. When we arrived to a second beach with white sand as fine as flour, we found a frigate bird that was looking for sea turtles hatchlings. At the end this wonderful day we had an unforgettable sunset of magenta, orange and turquoise over the silhouette of Floreana Island.
Another day in paradise to remember!
This morning we woke up with a soft glow of orange light at sunrise. We went early to visit the Post Office Barrel and found a very old wooden barrel and a lot of items like bones, shoes, flags, pieces of wood or plaques with names of people, universities, groups of friends, and names of boats as well as the year to record their visit to the Galápagos Islands. Later we went on a Zodiac ride to a site named “La Loberia” where lots of sea lions pups were playing. Some female sea lions were leaving their colonies early in the morning to go fishing and frigate birds and pelicans were perching on mangrove trees. We found a great blue heron near a tide pool and we had an exciting encounter with a penguin swimming at great speed.
We came back on board for a well-deserved breakfast and prepared for our next excursion, which was an incredible snorkeling outing around Champion Islet. We found a spotted eagle ray, a banded yellow sand star, a blue sea star, and dozens of young Galápagos sea lions who came to play with us. Later we went for a Zodiac ride around Champion Islet where we encountered the rare Charles mockingbirds. Several tiny islets off Floreana are the only places in the world where they are found.
After a good lunch and a siesta on the Islander, we went snorkeling around Devil’s Crown. This islet is the remains of a submerged crater. The guests found schools of black-stripped snappers, parrotfish, yellow tail razor fish and many other reef fish. Other guests went to the beach to relax and snorkel in shallow waters. At 4:00 pm we started our walk at Punta Cormorant. The beach here is made of green olivine sand. We walked along a short, easy trail and found a group of dozens of flamingos feeding. Later as we crossed an isthmus on the longer walk, and we spotted a nest with a flamingo chick. When we arrived to a second beach with white sand as fine as flour, we found a frigate bird that was looking for sea turtles hatchlings. At the end this wonderful day we had an unforgettable sunset of magenta, orange and turquoise over the silhouette of Floreana Island.
Another day in paradise to remember!
