We had early morning excursion option for an easy hike on a green colored beach. The color is derived from a semi-precious stone, called olivine, mixed with volcanic ash. We hiked beyond the beach to a brackish water lagoon which is home to Greater flamingoes, pintail ducks, black necked stilts and occasionally waders and migratory birds.
Further down the trail we arrived at a white coralline beach where green sea turtles nest throughout the year and we saw quite a few in the water. Another incredible encounter was with Diamond sting rays which were there by the hundreds right underneath the breaking waves. This fact restricts people from snorkeling here. Walking along the beach we found a rocky place with hundreds of colorful sally light-foot crabs which made for great pictures because they are so pretty and stand our well against the black lava.
We were back onboard for breakfast and took a short navigation to a satellite island called Champion. Here we offered a Zodiac ride around the island to search for the Floreana mockingbird which, due to severe predation by introduced animals like rats, became extinct on the main island. It now only survives here and only there are only a few hundred. We saw some of them flying and perching on the cacti and other trees.
This island has so many sea lions that were looking at us as if asking, “When are you getting in the water with us?” We said, “Soon! After we go back onboard and get changed.” We got ready and immediately headed out again to meet our lovely friends the sea lions. We plunged in and saw giant schools of fish like, king angel fishes, yellow surgeon fishes, sea stars, sea urchins, some rays and, the best part, the acrobatic sea lions. They were swimming around us blowing bubbles, twirling, pulling stunts and more almost as if they were trained.
In the afternoon we headed to Post Office bay beach to visit the barrel in which postcards are dropped and picked to be hand delivered to their destination. This is a tradition started by whalers, pirates. More recently locals and visitors join in the delivery, no stamp needed.
We continued our adventure, this time by Zodiacs, to visit some nearby islands to look for beautiful landscapes and wildlife. Some others visited the same location by kayak with the same possibilities of wildlife. With these activities we ended another fantastic day in the Galapagos.
