Floreana Island, 4/3/2022, National Geographic Islander
Aboard the
National Geographic Islander
Galápagos
Floreana Island was the first island colonized by Ecuadorian people. The island was severely impacted by the many domestic animals that ran wild after colonization.
Almost a century later, the Galapagos National Park is working with a restoration program. The program has been a success; its impact is easy to see at first glimpse. It is almost impossible to believe that this island was impacted and then fully restored in a record period of time. After witnessing so many amazing sights, National Geographic Islander guests could really appreciate the big changes that took place on the island. We encountered blue-footed boobies, Galapagos sea lions, Galapagos flamingos, and many endemic plants. Guests also enjoyed the most amazing snorkeling experience in the Galapagos.
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...
During the night, we navigated from the western side of Isabela (Tagus Cove) to the northwestern side of Santiago. We crossed the equator two times in the late hours of the night. Finally, National Geographic Islander dropped its anchor at Espumilla Beach at 6:00 a.m. Most guests went for a pre-breakfast outing to explore a coastal ecosystem full of mangroves and nests of Pacific green sea turtles. After breakfast, our agenda for the rest of the morning included deep water snorkeling and Zodiac explorations. These activities took place as we enjoyed marvelous weather with plenty of sunshine and beautiful turquoise waters. We had the company of sea lions, big schools of fish, and reef sharks. In the afternoon, we landed at Puerto Egas for a couple options. The first was an exploration walk along the shoreline. At the site, we observed a rare colony of Galapagos fur seals. We found colonies of marine iguanas resting on the rocks after diving in the shallow waters. We also had the opportunity to spend time with Galapagos sea lions, as this place seems to be one of their favorites for resting and breeding. We enjoyed spending time on the fabulous beach at Puerto Egas where we snorkeled and rested a little before exploring the site. At the end of the walk, we enjoyed an amazing sunset and a wine tasting on the observation deck as we admired the views. This place is part of history, as the great naturalist Charles Darwin explored the area and spent several days here studying and collecting samples.
The day started with an overcast sky and fog surrounding the shoreline of Isabela Island. We landed on a black sand beach where sea turtles lay eggs every year. Our morning hike consisted of a loop trail through the forest of poison apple trees, where we found giant tortoises from the Alcedo Volcano. These prehistoric animals were looking for food and sunbathing in the middle of the trail, a very convenient situation for our photographers. In the afternoon, we anchored in Tagus Cove, a popular site known by whalers back in the day. The area offers calm waters full of wildlife. We swam with penguins and sea lions. We also kayaked by the nesting sites of flightless cormorants, and we explored the cliffs where pelicans are nesting. Part of the group hiked around a beautiful saltwater lagoon to a viewpoint that offered a 360° view of Isabela Island and its volcanic features.
Today we woke up very early to find marine life in the light of the sunrise. Some of us had a stretching session with wellness specialist Estefania. It was very relaxing since we were surrounded by the landscape of the collapsed caldera of the Ecuador Volcano. Right after breakfast, we crossed the equator. We had a gathering on the front deck, and a naturalist carried an Ecuadorian flag as we symbolically crossed the equatorial line. Our first outing was a Zodiac ride along the coast of Punta Vicente Roca. We observed the natural life around this magnificent area. Green sea turtles, blue-footed boobies, flightless cormorants, and brown noddies went about their daily activities. We enjoyed a long swim. While snorkeling, we encountered marine iguanas, sea turtles, cormorants, and various fish. We even saw a Galapagos penguin on the rocks. We enjoyed a delicious Andean lunch with fresh produce and interesting dishes from Ecuador. For photography lovers, an introduction to shooting wildlife was very informative and useful. Our afternoon hike in Punta Espinoza was amazing. Sunset was on its way, and the light was perfect. We watched an impressive number of marine iguanas as they returned from feeding in the ocean. They tried to soak up the last rays of the day to raise their body temperature after a dip in the cold water. Sailing has been smooth. We have clear views of Isabela and Fernandina, and we appreciate their shield shapes. Images like these ones are definitely beautiful souvenirs of our trip, and they will be difficult to forget. We even saw bottlenose dolphins as they sailed to shore with us. What an amazing day we had!
