Floreana Island
It was great to awake and enjoy the great view of the sunrise at Post Office Bay, Floreana Island. Shortly after sunrise, we boarded the Zodiacs and headed to shore. We landed on a small, charming bay known by the whalers in the past as Post Office Bay. It was here where the oldest post office in the South Pacific has been erected with the main purpose to serve as the connection between sailors and their families back in their home countries. The tradition has been maintained up to present day, and the idea for this morning was to pick up postcards from past visitors and hand-deliver them to their final destinations. We came back to the Islander after combining this visit with a great panga ride along the coastline with formations covered with sea lions.
The Islander was then prepared to sail off to Champion Rock, so we could offer to our guests one of the most wonderful spots to snorkel in the Galápagos. The friendly sea lion pups were playing with everyone, while the fantastic marine biodiversity of the area surrounded us. We found sharks, rays, turtles, colorful tropical fish, and beautifully colored sea stars like the “chocolate chip sea star.”
It was after the snorkeling experience that we headed for Zodiac rides around Champion. A rare species of bird only found in the satellite islands close to Floreana is known as the Floreana mockingbird. This is one of the four species of mockingbirds that we can find in the archipelago and it was through Darwin’s observations that this bird got to be famous.
Later on, we sailed off to Punta Cormorant in order to visit an interesting green beach. The sand here is composed mainly from olivine crystal, which is a volcanic mineral that crystallize in high temperatures, transforming into something similar to green sea glass. We also found plenty of sea lions resting up on the beach, as well. During the visit, we skirted a large brackish lagoon with flamingoes. This area is the main shelter to many species of migratory shore birds. The volcanic landscape of the surroundings was only the shell that protected this incredible ecosystem and we were pretty lucky to visit such an interesting place.
It was great to awake and enjoy the great view of the sunrise at Post Office Bay, Floreana Island. Shortly after sunrise, we boarded the Zodiacs and headed to shore. We landed on a small, charming bay known by the whalers in the past as Post Office Bay. It was here where the oldest post office in the South Pacific has been erected with the main purpose to serve as the connection between sailors and their families back in their home countries. The tradition has been maintained up to present day, and the idea for this morning was to pick up postcards from past visitors and hand-deliver them to their final destinations. We came back to the Islander after combining this visit with a great panga ride along the coastline with formations covered with sea lions.
The Islander was then prepared to sail off to Champion Rock, so we could offer to our guests one of the most wonderful spots to snorkel in the Galápagos. The friendly sea lion pups were playing with everyone, while the fantastic marine biodiversity of the area surrounded us. We found sharks, rays, turtles, colorful tropical fish, and beautifully colored sea stars like the “chocolate chip sea star.”
It was after the snorkeling experience that we headed for Zodiac rides around Champion. A rare species of bird only found in the satellite islands close to Floreana is known as the Floreana mockingbird. This is one of the four species of mockingbirds that we can find in the archipelago and it was through Darwin’s observations that this bird got to be famous.
Later on, we sailed off to Punta Cormorant in order to visit an interesting green beach. The sand here is composed mainly from olivine crystal, which is a volcanic mineral that crystallize in high temperatures, transforming into something similar to green sea glass. We also found plenty of sea lions resting up on the beach, as well. During the visit, we skirted a large brackish lagoon with flamingoes. This area is the main shelter to many species of migratory shore birds. The volcanic landscape of the surroundings was only the shell that protected this incredible ecosystem and we were pretty lucky to visit such an interesting place.
