This morning we landed at the magnificent island of Fernandina, the most western island in the Galapagos. We encountered a wide variety of wildlife while we walked on a Pahoehoe lava field mixed with sandy terrain. We saw hawks, marine iguanas, cormorants, pelicans, lizards, and more! The morning did not end there. The snorkel of the day was fantastic! We swam with countless marine iguanas and turtles; we even saw a penguin and cormorant in the water. What a wonderful morning, packed with learning and wildlife encounters. In the afternoon, we sailed to Vicente Roca and enjoyed a Zodiac ride. We observed the exquisite geology and lots of penguins and blue-footed boobies, along with a large colony of fur seals. Our equator crossing was the most fun part of the day, as crazy pirates arrived on board to greet our guests in celebration of the crossing.
3/20/2023
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National Geographic Endeavour II
Floreana Island
Today was the second full day of our expedition, and we started activities very early to make the most of it. Right after sunrise, we boarded Zodiacs to explore a very interesting visitor site on Floreana Island. Here, a green sand beach was waiting for us. We learned about different types of sand and why the green color of this beach is so special. As we walked a little farther, we arrived at a brackish water lagoon. Flamingos are often observed here, but today was really special. We found nearly 80 flamingos feeding at the lagoon. This sighting was not only rare but also very exciting! We kept walking and arrived at a beach known as “the flour beach.” The beach has a particular type of sand that is not only white but very fine, like flour. Walking there was a pleasure. We encountered a sea turtle laying her eggs and covering them with sand. We observed diamond stingrays along the shoreline as we walked along the beach. Our next activity was an amazing deep-water snorkel. We observed many species of colorful fish along with one of the largest colonies of sea lions in the Galapagos. The afternoon was equally interesting, maybe even better! We had the opportunity to visit Post Office Bay, the location of the first mailing system on the islands. Long ago, sailors deposited their mail here, and it was collected by other ships passing through on their way back home. Nowadays, the mail system still works the same way. Postcards are dropped off and then picked up by future visitors, who follow the tradition by hand-delivering the mail once they make it home. After this exciting adventure, we enjoyed the clear and warm waters at the beach. Today was another great day in this little piece of heaven on earth.
