With a relaxing hike in the morning at Cormorant Point, our day started with sightings of frigatebirds hanging around, ground finches looking for seeds, and a few flamingos in the distance. Later, we snorkeled off Champion Islet with a few reef sharks and sea lions swimming among us. The cherry on top of the ice cream came in the afternoon with some kayaking in El Mirador de la Baronesa and postcards being hand delivered in Post Office Bay.
9/18/2023
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National Geographic Endeavour II
Floreana Island
Our adventure on Floreana Island started early in the morning, at Punta Cormorant. We had a wet landing on a beach with “green sand” — its color is due to the presence of olivine crystals, volcanically derived silicates of magnesium and iron. The trail led us to a brackish lagoon, where we found Galapagos flamingos, giving us the perfect moment for pictures. Next we followed a trail surrounded mostly by palo santo trees; at this time of the year they are dry and leafless, but they are just waiting for the rainy season to blossom. At the end of the trail a white sandy beach was waiting for us. Later in the morning we snorkeled around Champion. It was an amazing experience to play with Galapagos sea lions while taking in the beautiful underwater landscape. We finished our visit to this island with the historical site of Post Office Bay. This is one of the islands’ most famous sites due to its frequent visitations by pirates and whalers during the 17th and 18th centuries. The crew of visiting ships would leave mail inside a barrel; in turn, they would pick up any mail that was destined for their own part of the world. Of course our guests left their own postcards there, hoping they will be delivered soon. We finished the day with kayaking at sunset — a beautiful end to a beautiful day.
