Located in the southern part of the Galápagos, Floreana was the first island to be colonized and is home to about 130 people. The landscape is hilly all over, and dry and rocky around the shore. The green highlands are fertile for farming and cattle ranching. This island is mostly a national park and the wild life is superb!
Right before landing we saw a pair of green sea turtles mating! Minutes into our walk at Punta Cormorant, we came across a gorgeous beach that happens to be a nesting ground for the Pacific green sea turtles. Then we explored a “holy stick” forest. The Palo Santo trees were leafless at this time of the year—the peak of the dry season in the Galápagos. We also visited a brackish pond surrounded with mangroves, just the right habitat for herons, wading birds and flamingos.
Later in the morning we weighed anchor and set our course for Champion islet. Here, we explored the shore from the Zodiacs. This islet is like a magnet for marine life! During the Zodiac ride we spotted many types of sea birds, such as blue-footed boobies, Nazca boobies, brown pelicans and tropicbirds, just to mention a few!
After getting our snorkeling gear, we returned to Champion islet to mingle with the marine life. Snorkeling was a stunning experience due to the number and variety of tropical fish that make up this complex ecosystem.
In the afternoon we visited the legendary post office barrel of Floreana. This barrel became the most important mechanism of communication on this side of the Pacific Ocean. The users of this system were English whalers.
Later on we enjoyed kayaking and a Zodiac ride among sea lions. And of course, we celebrated our day with a drink in hand at sunset.
