Floreana Island
We started our journey a few days ago. At the beginning, we had the impression that nothing could top it. So far we have visited two other islands and we are certain that today was even better than the day before.
Floreana Island is located in the southern part of the archipelago, and is home to a small human settlement. These people make a living from fishing, tourism and agriculture. This island was the first to be colonized, in 1932—since then not much has changed in terms of population.
We started our expedition early in the morning, paying a visit to Cormorant Point. Here we visited a saltwater pond with wading birds, including a flamingo, all by itself, resting right in the middle of the pond. We also spotted cattle egrets, striated herons and great blue herons.
Later on we came back on board for breakfast, and then started our regular morning activities. After breakfast we explored the undersea world at Champion Islet. This islet is off Floreana, and its marine life is superb!
From the moment we jumped in the ocean, we were surrounded by myriad tropical and temperate water fish. The Galápagos waters are among the most productive in the ocean and it is because this place is the meeting point of several major currents—some warm, others cold.
In the afternoon we visited the legendary post office barrel. Here we found post cards and we took some home! It was a nice day; the sun was shining and we had a great time on the beach. Other explorers chose kayaking and at the end we had a zodiac ride to explore the wonders of the shore. The shorelines are teeming with life of all kinds, such as sea lions, egrets, herons, sea turtles and many more!
