Floreana Island
Early in the morning we had a pre-breakfast outing, to visit the famous Post Office barrel, which was settled on a calm bay visited by pirates and buccaneers passing through the Galápagos during the 17th century. Here we followed the tradition by leaving our postcards in the barrel and looking through the ones that were there already, taking some that were addressed close to where we live to deliver them by hand. Eventually someone else is going to do the same for us.
After heading back and having breakfast, we navigated towards Champion Islet, where we had several outings to explore the underwater world of the Galápagos; it was a bit rough yes! But it was still full of life. Here we enjoyed swimming with schools of salemas (endemic fish to Galápagos), parrot fish, and even had some playful sea lions charming us with their water flips.
Champion Islet is a very important habitat for the Floreana mockingbird, also known as Charles mockingbird, being one of the species in danger of extinction and not nesting on the Island anymore due to predation of the introduced animals. It was very interesting for us, going on Zodiac rides to look for the elusive Floreana Mockingbird, knowing that there are only a bit more than a hundred of them left, and some of us being lucky some to spot even three of them on one ride. Swallow tailed gulls, Tropic Birds and Shearwaters were also sighted along the cliffs and of course we cannot forget to mention the playful sea lion pups in the intertidal zone.
After lunch we navigated just around the point to a place called “Punta Cormorant,” where on a gold-greenish sand beach we had a wet landing, and soon enough we got ready to explore further into the island. Soon enough we encountered a brackish water lagoon with several Greater Flamingos (endemic sub-specie). It is very important to know that this is not only a feeding but also a nesting place for these very colorful birds.
Floreana was the perfect place for buccaneers to get provisions and, killing two birds with one stone, getting Giant tortoises and water at the same time. Afterward, the island had a colony of prisoners, followed by the arrival of very mysterious German families.
As we walked we found many endemic plants such as: Pearl Berry, Galápagos lantana, and native species like red, black and white mangroves. At the end of the walk we encountered a beautiful white sand beach, which is one of the sea turtle nesting areas. There were nests everywhere, and it was a wonderful place.
After a very educational day we headed back to the National Geographic Endeavour, with all the secrets of human history and richness of nature that Floreana had shared with us.
