Exploring the Galapagos Islands is an exciting experience full of surprises. Today, our journey took us to Floreana Island, located in the southern realm of the archipelago. Our exploration began early, with a pre-breakfast hike at Punta Cormorant. After a comfortable wet landing, we got our gear ready in order to cross the isthmus of Punta Cormorant. At the moment of our arrival, we were struck by the unusual green sand that covered the beach where we had landed. The presence of olivine crystals is the cause of a spectacular greenish coloration to the ground, which was in perfect contrast with the brown color of Galapagos sea lions that were resting in the area.
Further into the trail, we heard a symphony of sounds from the different land bird species that were already singing early in the morning. Small ground finches, yellow warbles, and Galapagos flycatchers were some of the sightings from our visit. Once we reached the other side of the isthmus, the white color of the sand captured our attention, as well as Pacific green sea turtles which were swimming around. At the same moment, magnificent frigatebirds were flying above us, casting their distinctive silhouettes against a splendid sunrise.
A brackish water lagoon that decorated the scenery can be found at Punta Cormorant, and it is the home of one of the most iconic lagoon birds of the Islands: The American flamingo. We had a perfect photo opportunity once we reached the inner part of the trail that brought us closer to the flamingos. The presence of green foliage on palo santo trees was the indicator that the wet season has finally approached the Galapagos. At the end of the hike, we enjoyed the fantastic courtship display of the blue-footed boobies that looked very elegant as they were sky-pointing their beaks.
Deep water snorkeling would be our next activity, and as soon as we reached Champion Islet, we got everything ready in order to explore the underwater realm. The Galapagos Marine Reserve is one of the most impressive places in our planet, and today we had a fantastic occasion to see its wonders. As soon as we entered the water, we were surprised by the presence of dozens of reef fish species. It felt like being inside a natural aquarium: king angelfish, razor surgeonfish, and white-tipped reef sharks were just a few of the highlights of this outing. Once we were back on board the National Geographic Endeavour II, we started navigation to our next destination.
In the afternoon, exploration brought us to one of the most historical places of the islands: Post Office Bay. A comfortable Zodiac ride gave us the opportunity to explore the different nesting areas found along the coastal area. At the end, we found ourselves at the post office barrel to do a postcard exchange in order to keep the tradition alive. At the end of our journey, a marvelous sunset was the indicator that more surprises await us tomorrow in the living paradise of the Galapagos Islands.
