Floreana Island
An optional call found us anchored early in the morning at Post Office Bay. A mail swapping tradition started in the seventeen hundreds on this very site, here on Floreana Island. On their return home, some of our guests will hand deliver postcards with a destination address close to where they reside; this is a fun icebreaker and a great way to make new friends and share experiences from the isolated world of Galápagos.
Soon after our breakfast we repositioned the ship for snorkeling on this calm sea. And oh boy, this was an impressive one for wildlife sightings: sea lions, fish of all kinds, invertebrates and the camouflaged octopus which was oblivious to our presence. We sighted a sea turtle so close and tame we could hear its breathing while on the surface. Also, blue-footed boobies were diving under us to catch their must value source of survival – fish. All this was experienced under clear sunny skies, with great underwater visibility and in warm 80 degree water. This is the best I can do to relate this simply indescribable experience.
Upon our return to the ship, we struck out again shortly afterwards, this time for a panga ride around Champion Island to search for the illusive Floreana mockingbird. Our latest census was 45 individuals living on the island, and today we all succeeded in sighting a few.
During lunch we positioned towards Devil's Crown where we anchored. During the afternoon we kayaked or simply strolled on the beach. Afterwards we all reunited to start our walk towards the greater flamingoes in a brackish water lagoon; on the other side of this site we found a white sand beach which brought us many surprises like green pacific turtles waiting for the night to come to lay their precious eggs.
Back on the National Geographic Islander, all of us shared this wonderful day from a week which has brought us together to become one with nature.
An optional call found us anchored early in the morning at Post Office Bay. A mail swapping tradition started in the seventeen hundreds on this very site, here on Floreana Island. On their return home, some of our guests will hand deliver postcards with a destination address close to where they reside; this is a fun icebreaker and a great way to make new friends and share experiences from the isolated world of Galápagos.
Soon after our breakfast we repositioned the ship for snorkeling on this calm sea. And oh boy, this was an impressive one for wildlife sightings: sea lions, fish of all kinds, invertebrates and the camouflaged octopus which was oblivious to our presence. We sighted a sea turtle so close and tame we could hear its breathing while on the surface. Also, blue-footed boobies were diving under us to catch their must value source of survival – fish. All this was experienced under clear sunny skies, with great underwater visibility and in warm 80 degree water. This is the best I can do to relate this simply indescribable experience.
Upon our return to the ship, we struck out again shortly afterwards, this time for a panga ride around Champion Island to search for the illusive Floreana mockingbird. Our latest census was 45 individuals living on the island, and today we all succeeded in sighting a few.
During lunch we positioned towards Devil's Crown where we anchored. During the afternoon we kayaked or simply strolled on the beach. Afterwards we all reunited to start our walk towards the greater flamingoes in a brackish water lagoon; on the other side of this site we found a white sand beach which brought us many surprises like green pacific turtles waiting for the night to come to lay their precious eggs.
Back on the National Geographic Islander, all of us shared this wonderful day from a week which has brought us together to become one with nature.
