Due to its location in the Galápagos archipelago, Floreana Island used to be an important place for the whaling industry. The island was also the first island to be colonized by the Ecuadorian government in 1832, thanks to the permanent fresh water supply and good cultivable soil.
This morning we had an outing before breakfast so that we could make the most of the great lighting for photographs. We landed on Punta Cormorant on a beautiful beach where there is a small colony of sea lions and some blue-footed boobies. Behind this beach there is a lagoon where we found flamingos for the first time in the trip. These birds are a recent arrival to the Galápagos. We followed a trail and we were lucky enough to see an active nesting sea turtle site.
Later this morning we navigated to Champion Islet. The last population of Floreana mockingbirds live here. We visited this place first with the Zodiacs so we could take photos of the unique bird, as well as other birds and the beloved sea lions. We then returned to go snorkelling, as Champion Islet has an abundance of fish and playful sea lions.
Later this afternoon we went to Post office bay. Even Charles Darwin landed here in 1835 during his worldwide voyage. Our guests kept the old tradition alive, which is to deliver the postcards left here by other tourists. It’s a personal service that started hundreds of years ago! We also used our kayaks and paddle boards to explore the area in a different way.
We celebrated a fantastic day with wine tasting back on the ship on the open sky deck.
