After a calm and long navigation to the westernmost part of the Galapagos Islands, we arrived at the enchanted island of Floreana. Floreana Island is a reminder of those sad times when whalers used to navigate around these waters, killing not only whales but thousands of giant tortoises too. They also introduced feral species such as goats, cats, and dogs to this incredible island.
We experienced good things on this island immediately. We disembarked early in the morning on Cormorant Point Beach in search of wildlife and adventure. During this time of year, the beginning of the wet season, the unique species of Pacific green turtle is mating all around the archipelago. One of the most important nesting sites is located at the southern shores of Cormorant Point. So there we went this morning in search of the Pacific green turtle in her nesting sites. After a great walk around a unique lagoon, we spotted some greater flamingoes that were feeding on small shrimp that they live with them.
We promised ourselves we’d come back to the flamingo lagoon later, after the southern beach exploration.
And when we arrived, magically, there was a female pacific green turtle going out of her nest during low tide. What a lucky day - even for us Galapagos National Park naturalist guides it’s very unique to witness this unique event.
That beautiful female put on a wonderful show for all of us, and taught us some lessons about life and death and the balance of nature.
Around mid-morning and after a short navigation, we reached the island of Champion for a Zodiac ride to look for some animals like sea lions, boobies, shearwaters, and red-billed tropic birds. But the one that deserved a little more attention was a species of mockingbird that became extinct on the main island due to predators. Only a few survived here on this island and we saw a few unexpectedly close, so we are happy they’re still with us.
Our next adventure was going snorkeling in one of the most beautiful locations due to the presence of multiple species of fish and other creatures. One of them is the playful Galapagos sea lion that was available to give us the best moments of our snorkeling session. Large schools of attractive fish of many kinds also made the place very unique.
In the afternoon, after a short navigation we arrived at Post office Bay where we had an incredible time full of great adventures. Some departed for kayaking around small islands usually teaming with wildlife, while others just disembarked on the beach at Post Office Bay for photography and relaxation. Later the rest of the guests came together to visit the old mail barrel supposedly erected by an English captain with the name of James Colnett back in 1793 to facilitate communication with home. This tradition is still running, as it has become very known among the visitors of the Galapagos. You head to the barrel, read through the letters, and if you see one near where you live, you bring it home and hand-deliver it, like the old days. It’s fun, and no stamps are needed.
The last activity of the day was a Zodiac ride around some rocky islands to see interesting wildlife like blue-footed boobies. There were more than 10 Pacific green turtles around at any given moment too!
To finish the day with an incredible surprise there were more than 100 bottlenose dolphins around the National Geographic Endeavor at the beginning of our navigation to port Ayora Santa Cruz Islands, our destination for tomorrow.
What a great day in Floreana Island - it represented the past, the present, and the future of Galapagos National Park.
