Floreana Island
In the whaling times, the Galápagos Islands were known as the Enchanted Islands, not by the meaning of “charming” but as in the meaning of “bewitched.” The islands were a destination for sailors looking for the tortoise’s meat and whale hunters, but their waters were hard to predict and their resources very limited. At that time, probably in 1792, the famous Post Office Barrel was set up on Floreana Island.
We visited this historical place with the goal of continuing with a tradition that has lasted over centuries. We left our letters and news in the barrel, waiting for future visitors to take them to their destinations, and we searched for the ones that we could hand deliver.
Due to the human activity that started on Floreana Island, many species felt the effects of the introduced species. A good example was the case of the Floreana Mockingbird which went extinct. Today we can find a small population of this bird living on an islet close by Floreana, called Champion Islet. We boarded our Zodiacs to see this elusive species, and we found it!
The equatorial sun was strong and our morning was not over so we enjoyed of one of the most spectacular snorkeling outings of the week around Champion. Rays, sharks, colorful fish and sea lions came to the meeting, sharing with us the incredible experience of discovering the underwater world.
In the afternoon pink was our color! We walked on Cormorant Point where there are not cormorants, but where we can find a brackish water lagoon with Flamingos living on it. The island was so quiet and peaceful as we walked on the trail. At the end of it, we found a beautiful white beach which is one of the most important nesting sites for sea turtles. We found some waiting for night to come to go out of the waters and climb the dunes to nest, in the same areas where decades ago they hatched.
I think today we can still call these islands Enchanted, but because of the charm of nature, which one more time we had the opportunity to explore.
