We offered an early morning option of an easy hike that started on a green colored beach. The beautiful color is due to a semi-precious stone called olivine mixed with volcanic ash. Behind the beach lies a brackish water lagoon which is home to some birds of a different class and form such as Greater flamingoes, pintail ducks, black necked stilts and occasionally waders and migratory birds.
Further down the trail we arrived at a white coralline beach where sea turtles nest throughout the year. We had an incredible encounter of Diamond sting rays which were there by the hundreds right underneath the breaking waves. This, of course, restricted us from snorkeling there. Walking along the beach we found a rocky place with hundreds of colorful sally light-foot crabs which allowed for great pictures because they are so bright and pretty and stand out against the black lava.
The vegetation of the area is limited therefore the species who have adapted to this location are really unique. Just to mention a few, the Scalesia, Villosa and Floreana daisy are in the sun flower family and beautiful.
We were back onboard for breakfast and took a short navigation to a satellite island called Champion where we could do two activities. The first was a Zodiac ride around the island with the possibility of seeing the Floreana mockingbird, which due to severe predation by introduced animals like rats, became extinct on the main island and only a few hundred survive here. We saw some of them flying and perching on the cacti and other trees.
This island has so many sea lions and they seemed to look at us as if asking, “When we are you joining us in the water?” We got back to the ship and ready for snorkeling as fast as we could. We immediately headed out again to meet our lovely friends, the sea lions. We plunged in to see giant schools of fish-king angel fish, yellow surgeon fish, sea starts, pelican barracudas, sea urchins, diving boobies, Moorish idols, some rays. The best part of it was meeting the acrobatic sea lions who swam around us blowing bubbles, twirling, playing stunts and more as if they were trained.
In the afternoon we reached the bay called Post Office bay where an old wine barrel was erected by whalers some centuries back to have some communication with home. The idea is that you write and address your postcard and drop it in the barrel. Then other travelers come around and take it to its destination just like the whalers did it.
After this fun tradition we continued our journey by Zodiac around some small islets with the possibility of wildlife sightings and viewings of the beautiful landscape enhanced by the setting sun.
