We have arrived to Floreana Island. This morning, we had an early wakeup call and prepared to visit the wonderful Cormorant Bay. As soon as we got to the trail, we had the opportunity to see several blue-footed boobies engaged in courtship behavior, which involves an interesting dance and sky pointing. We spent some time observing the show before heading in the direction of the mangrove. We walked through the endemic vegetation, which took us to a brackish lagoon with American flamingos. More than 70 were feeding in the lagoon. It was an amazing sight as the flamingo population in the Galapagos is very small.
We went back to the ship to get ready for snorkeling. This ended up being an amazing experience for our guests. We had the chance to swim with whitetip reef sharks, playful Galapagos sea lion pups, and hundreds of fish of different species. An abundance of fish gather in this islet as there is plenty of food available right now. Conditions were perfect as we are in the rainy season, and the water is very warm and pleasant.
We spent the afternoon at the very famous Post Office Bay. Guests had the option of kayaking along “Baroness Lookout,” an amazing, pristine lagoon visited by sea lions, green sea turtles, and blue-footed boobies passing overhead.
Next, we went to the beach to visit the old-fashioned mail barrel, which has been a working mail system for over two centuries. Guests had the opportunity to be part of this tradition. They retrieved postcards and letters to deliver back home for fellow travelers, just like sailors did back in the old days.
Thanks to the mystical island of Floreana, today was another beautiful day in paradise!
