Floreana Island, 3/20/2022, National Geographic Islander
Aboard the
National Geographic Islander
Galápagos
The Galapagos National Park considers Floreana Island to be a great example of people coexisting with wildlife. In fact, the island is going to be the first inhabited place in the Galapagos to be restored. For a time, iconic species were heavily impacted by the introduction of animals. In the near future, we hope to see more Floreana giant tortoises and Floreana mockingbirds roaming wild.
Walter was born in a very small town on the mainland of Ecuador. His first trip to the Galápagos was when he was 12 years old, visiting friends and aunt, who had moved to the islands. From the first moment he saw the Islands, he fell in love with the...
We started the day circumnavigating the dramatic sea cliffs of Roca Redonda as the sun rose above the horizon. Later, a Zodiac ride at Punta Vicente Roca on Isabela Island revealed penguins, Galapagos fur seals, and flightless cormorants. We were delighted to encounter a huge pod of Common dolphins on our way to Fernandina Island for our afternoon of activities. Many sea turtles and marine iguanas accompanied us as we snorkeled around the bay at Punta Espinosa. The day ended with a glowing sky as we walked among marine iguanas, sea lions, and flightless cormorants. It was another memorable day in Galapagos!
Today was an amazing day from sunrise to sunset. We explored the beautiful North Seymour Island in the first part of the day. So many birds! We even saw the fascinating courtship dance of the blue-footed boobies. What a treat! In the afternoon, we went for our first snorkeling experience in the Galapagos, swimming with sea lions and so many fish. To end our day, we had the option to go for a photo-oriented or natural history walk along the astonishing red sand beach of Rabida Island. I oversaw the photo-oriented walk, and we had so much fun. Our guests put into practice what they learned during the photo presentation we had yesterday, and the result was amazing. We cannot wait for another day full of adventures in the Galapagos Archipelago.
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.
