It is the third day of our voyage and we continue moving around the archipelago looking for more exciting experiences. The island today was Floreana; it was chosen to be the first island colonized by the Ecuadorian government when they took possession.
The first place we visited was Punta Cormorant. This place has a variety of ecosystems including organic and inorganic beaches, a brackish water lagoon where we found, at a distance, some greater flamingos. The trail is quite a change after being on islands so dried by the drought this year, there is green everywhere you look and the scent the incense trees offer along the trail is just fantastic. At the end of the hike there is a nesting site for the pacific green sea turtles, which come to deposit their precious leathery eggs. Our guests learned a little bit more about the process the turtle follows before they nest and after they finish. And after an early morning walk we headed back to the ship for some well-deserved breakfast.
Soon the National Geographic Islander moved to the second destination, Champion Islet. This place is more than unique due to being the only of two islets next to Floreana where the mockingbird survives after being threatened by feral cats. So we deployed the Zodiacs to discover the islet in search for this particular species and more like tropic birds, sea lions and boobies. Right in this same place we snorkeled after the cruises in search of marine species. So far it was the best snorkel we had. The place was full of tropical fish, white tipped sharks, schools of rays and the ever playful baby sea lions.
During the afternoon, more activities filled the schedule. First a short walk to the Post Office Bay, which is a very old mailing system; leaving postcards in the box so other people visiting the Galapagos will eventually deliver it to the address written in there. And finally two last options, kayaking and Zodiac rides. Both activities happened along the shore with more sea lion colonies, boobies an unexpected Galapagos penguin.
That was Floreana – history and wildlife.
