Today is the second full day of our expedition aboard National Geographic Islander II, and we visited Floreana Island. We started the day with a pre-breakfast kayak in Baroness Bay and visited Post Office Bay, where we found one of the oldest postal systems in the Pacific Ocean. We picked up postcards to deliver back home and dropped off some of our own to keep the tradition alive. Later in the day, we enjoyed a Zodiac ride and snorkeled in Champion Islet. Then we moved locations to Punta Cormorant and enjoyed a beautiful walk on the shore. We observed nature in action as we watched frigatebirds eating baby turtles, boobies plunging for fun, and more. It was an amazing day in this wonderful archipelago.
5/19/2025
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National Geographic Islander II
Santa Cruz Island
Our first full day had plenty of wonderful surprises as we disembarked in Puerto Ayora, the main town on Santa Cruz Island. As soon as we arrived, we took a bus all the way to the highlands of Santa Cruz until we reached El Trapiche Farm, a unique site where the guests of National Geographic Islander II learned about the production of organic coffee, cocoa, and sugarcane liquor. Afterwards, we visited the Twin Craters. This amazing site is comprised of two incredible pit craters formed by the collapse of volcanic magma chambers. The area is surrounded by a forest of the unique Scalesia pedunculata, a tree that is endemic to the area. The spectacular visit to El Manzanillo Ranch gave us the opportunity to walk among the incredible Galapagos giant tortoises, often found in the early afternoon having lunch and resting. Being surrounded by these gentle giants was the best way of ending our visit.
