Floreana Island
Floreana was a stop for the most famous visitor to the enchanted islands, Charles Darwin, aboard HMS Beagle, captained by Robert Fitzroy in 1835. But the first resident of the Galapagos was an Irishman, Patrick Watkins. It is thought that he was marooned on this island in 1807. He spent two years growing vegetables, which he exchanged with visiting whalers for rum. In 1909 he stole a whaling ship and captured five sailors as slaves. Only Patrick reached Guayaquil alive.
We spent the whole day on this historically rich island. In the afternoon we went ashore at Punta Cormorant, where we had a close encounter with the greater flamingoes. We walked over the point to the other side where we found a spectacular beach of fine white sand: the flour beach. This is one of the main nesting grounds of the pacific green sea turtle in Galapagos and we saw a female right on the beach.
Marine turtles are not completely adapted to aquatic life and must come onto land to lay their eggs. They have also been recorded as coming ashore to bask during the day, perhaps to help digestion and fat build up. During the mating season female turtles can be seen on shore during the daytime probably to keep away hyperactive males. And this may be the case, as we are now in the middle of the turtle breeding season.
Floreana was a stop for the most famous visitor to the enchanted islands, Charles Darwin, aboard HMS Beagle, captained by Robert Fitzroy in 1835. But the first resident of the Galapagos was an Irishman, Patrick Watkins. It is thought that he was marooned on this island in 1807. He spent two years growing vegetables, which he exchanged with visiting whalers for rum. In 1909 he stole a whaling ship and captured five sailors as slaves. Only Patrick reached Guayaquil alive.
We spent the whole day on this historically rich island. In the afternoon we went ashore at Punta Cormorant, where we had a close encounter with the greater flamingoes. We walked over the point to the other side where we found a spectacular beach of fine white sand: the flour beach. This is one of the main nesting grounds of the pacific green sea turtle in Galapagos and we saw a female right on the beach.
Marine turtles are not completely adapted to aquatic life and must come onto land to lay their eggs. They have also been recorded as coming ashore to bask during the day, perhaps to help digestion and fat build up. During the mating season female turtles can be seen on shore during the daytime probably to keep away hyperactive males. And this may be the case, as we are now in the middle of the turtle breeding season.
