Christmas began with a gorgeous sunrise and orange colors on the horizon, reminding us that today is a special day.
Floreana Island is probably one of the most beautiful places on the planet. The island is named after President Juan Jose Flores, the first president of Ecuador, who sent the Ecuadorian military to take possession of the islands. Floreana has the most extensive human history in the Galapagos Islands. Many years ago, sailors found freshwater and tortoises here, which allowed them to continue their journey west. It would be 3,000 miles before they reached land again.
We started the day with activities like kayaking, paddleboarding, and dinghy rides. A group of baby sea lions were waiting for our guests to play. We observed marine turtles and marine iguanas, and a solitary penguin showed up to pose for pictures.
Next, we snorkeled at Champion Islet, one of the best places in the islands for snorkeling. What a fantastic place with sea lions, sharks, turtles, and thousands of fish.
We ended our day by visiting Punta Cormorant. We visited a nesting place for Pacific green sea turtles. It was great to see so many turtles swimming close to the beach as they waited for the dark of night to lay eggs.
At this time of year, sunsets in the Galapagos are fantastic and very colorful. We watched a beautiful one as we ended another day in paradise.
