Floreana Island
After a comfortable navigation from Española Island, we awoke anchored in front of Punta Cormorant at Floreana Island, and an early pre-breakfast hike was the perfect activity to begin our adventure. As soon as we had the wet landing at Punta Cormorant, we were amazed by the green sand beach. The beautiful color is due to the olivine crystals mixed with eroded volcanic material. Farther along the trail, the splendor of a brackish water lagoon surprised everyone as three greater flamingos were feeding inside. Once we reached the other side of the isthmus, dozens of sea turtle tracks were the perfect decoration for a perfectly white organic sand beach. After a fantastic hike, it was time to return to the National Geographic Islander and prepare for next part of the adventure: a Zodiac cruise at Champion Islet.
During the ride, we enjoyed all that nature prepared to show us, such as elegant red billed tropic birds, playful Galápagos sea lions, Nazca boobies, and the highlight of the ride: the elusive Charles mockingbird. The next activity of the day was to explore the underwater world that is found at Champion Islet. As soon as we jumped into the sea, we were surrounded by so many reef fish that the combination of colors was a symphony to our eyes.
During the afternoon the adventure got only better, and the perfect way to begin it was to sail alongside bottlenose dolphins. After a thrilling Zodiac ride, we had a dry landing at Post Office Bay. Arriving at the famed Post Office Barrel made us feel as though we had stepped back into the old whaling times of the Galápagos Islands. After a brief introduction to the Post Office Barrel history, it was time to keep the old tradition alive: we exchanged our postcards with those left behind by the visitors and agreed to hand deliver theirs back home. After leaving Post Office Bay, we enjoyed a charming sunset as we sailed aboard National Geographic Islander. Today, the marvels of nature played a magical sonata to be remembered for a lifetime.
