Floreana Island
We were delighted when the ship came to a stop this morning and Captain Carlos Garcia dropped the anchor. It had been a rough night’s rock and roll around the southwestern tip of Isabela Island. We disembarked at 0800 for a short visit to Post Office Bay where we left our own post cards and sorted through the homeward bound mail, taking what we could hand deliver; as has been the custom by sailors since the late 1700’s.
The ship repositioned to Champion Islet where we took panga rides and searched for – and found – several of the endangered Charles mocking birds which inhabit this tiny satellite island off the coast of Floreana. Since Floreana was colonized in the early 1800’s and has since been over run by introduced mammals – cats, pigs, goats, cattle and donkeys – the mockingbirds are extinct on the main island. Probably less than 100 of these birds remain, isolated on a couple of offshore islets where they are still safe from the introduced predators and trampling feet of the large herbivores. Besides the mockingbirds, we admired the splendid red-billed tropic birds, swallow-tailed gulls, and many sea lions swimming or lounging on the rocks.
Two Zodiacs took the avid snorkelers to the calm leeward side of Champion and we had an outstanding experience. Sea lions spun and twirled with us, we found huge schools of “booby bait” - the black striped salema, yellow tailed razor fish grazing on algae, and gorgeous brilliant deep purple king angelfish. Looking closely on the rocks we found a couple of scorpion fish so well camouflaged that it took a practiced eye to pick them out, a porcupine puffer, and several lovely blue sea stars. Just as we were returning to the Zodiacs, a 12 foot manta ray floated into view. We yelled in delight, and those already out of the water donned their gear and jumped in again! What a thrill to swim with this huge gentle animal. It was curious about us and circled back and forth underneath for at least twenty minutes. The sea lions were curious about the manta and they dove down to him and poked at his long trailing tail. What a privilege to find this beautiful marine creature and get such a good look at him in his natural habitat.
Graciela and Ernesto organized and led two rounds of kayakers from the ship along the beach at Punta Cormorant. They watched boobies diving and sea lions cavorting as they paddled, and every one of them returned to the National Geographic Islander with slightly tired arms and a smile on their face.
The afternoon walk began on a greenish brown olivine beach; the guides showed us the tiny transparent green crystals that are a result of rapid cooling after an eruption. Behind the beach was a brackish lagoon where flamingos worked hard at feeding, with side to side sweeps of their head. Using their tongue like a piston they filter out tiny crustaceans and other edible particles that are caught on the sieve like plates in their beak.
Over a cindery hill we descended to a beach of fine white sand where sea turtles have been digging their nests since the end of last year. Now the hatchlings are beginning to emerge and hungry frigates were on patrol. It is amazing how they could find the nests. Eager hatchlings close to the surface waited for dark to crawl out and run down the beach to the ocean. Several of the little turtles on top were scooped up by the frigates. We returned to the ship for a deck barbecue dinner and Latin dancing. It has been yet another great day in the enchanted islands.
We were delighted when the ship came to a stop this morning and Captain Carlos Garcia dropped the anchor. It had been a rough night’s rock and roll around the southwestern tip of Isabela Island. We disembarked at 0800 for a short visit to Post Office Bay where we left our own post cards and sorted through the homeward bound mail, taking what we could hand deliver; as has been the custom by sailors since the late 1700’s.
The ship repositioned to Champion Islet where we took panga rides and searched for – and found – several of the endangered Charles mocking birds which inhabit this tiny satellite island off the coast of Floreana. Since Floreana was colonized in the early 1800’s and has since been over run by introduced mammals – cats, pigs, goats, cattle and donkeys – the mockingbirds are extinct on the main island. Probably less than 100 of these birds remain, isolated on a couple of offshore islets where they are still safe from the introduced predators and trampling feet of the large herbivores. Besides the mockingbirds, we admired the splendid red-billed tropic birds, swallow-tailed gulls, and many sea lions swimming or lounging on the rocks.
Two Zodiacs took the avid snorkelers to the calm leeward side of Champion and we had an outstanding experience. Sea lions spun and twirled with us, we found huge schools of “booby bait” - the black striped salema, yellow tailed razor fish grazing on algae, and gorgeous brilliant deep purple king angelfish. Looking closely on the rocks we found a couple of scorpion fish so well camouflaged that it took a practiced eye to pick them out, a porcupine puffer, and several lovely blue sea stars. Just as we were returning to the Zodiacs, a 12 foot manta ray floated into view. We yelled in delight, and those already out of the water donned their gear and jumped in again! What a thrill to swim with this huge gentle animal. It was curious about us and circled back and forth underneath for at least twenty minutes. The sea lions were curious about the manta and they dove down to him and poked at his long trailing tail. What a privilege to find this beautiful marine creature and get such a good look at him in his natural habitat.
Graciela and Ernesto organized and led two rounds of kayakers from the ship along the beach at Punta Cormorant. They watched boobies diving and sea lions cavorting as they paddled, and every one of them returned to the National Geographic Islander with slightly tired arms and a smile on their face.
The afternoon walk began on a greenish brown olivine beach; the guides showed us the tiny transparent green crystals that are a result of rapid cooling after an eruption. Behind the beach was a brackish lagoon where flamingos worked hard at feeding, with side to side sweeps of their head. Using their tongue like a piston they filter out tiny crustaceans and other edible particles that are caught on the sieve like plates in their beak.
Over a cindery hill we descended to a beach of fine white sand where sea turtles have been digging their nests since the end of last year. Now the hatchlings are beginning to emerge and hungry frigates were on patrol. It is amazing how they could find the nests. Eager hatchlings close to the surface waited for dark to crawl out and run down the beach to the ocean. Several of the little turtles on top were scooped up by the frigates. We returned to the ship for a deck barbecue dinner and Latin dancing. It has been yet another great day in the enchanted islands.
