Floreana Island
The oldest islands on the archipelago are situated on the eastern side. We have started this expedition with the three oldest: San Cristobal, Española and Floreana. So far we have seen a lot of unique species endemic to each specific island. Floreana is home to a unique species of lava lizard, it has its own species of mockingbird as well. But Floreana has a treasure which is different from the other islands, and that’s the human history.
This island was a strategic point for the early visitors. Floreana provided them with two essential things: water in the highlands and food with the giant tortoises. In the 1700’s whalers used the island as a tactical stop for their communication as well, with the Post Office Barrel.
We started early in the morning by hiking on Punta Cormorant, but the reward for the early wake up was amazing! We found some green Pacific sea turtles that had come during the night to nest and we saw them on their way back to sea. We found some unique vegetation on the place and then we got back for a well-deserved breakfast.
Later we explored Champion Islet. First with our Zodiacs to find our elusive Floreana mockingbird, and then by snorkeling, we played with sea lions and spotted some sharks. We enjoyed some colorful fish and found vibrant sea stars. I personally fell in love with a sea lion! We played together for over 20 minutes.
visit Floreana without stopping by the post office barrel. Since 1792 this system has been communicating to the world; and today, with the promise of hand delivering the post cards that we found, we became part of this tradition. Later we explored the shores from our Zodiacs and our kayaks when the highlight of the day showed off - Galapagos penguins! We saw everything Floreana has for us.
