Floreana Island
Floreana, also named Charles or Santa Maria Island, is one of the most beautiful islands of this lost archipelago. With its hilly profile, it is composed of a dry and a humid zone. Besides its wonderful natural history, Floreana has some incredible human history, being the first island to be inhabited. Many of its past visitors were attracted by its permanent (although difficult to find) fresh water spring, but also by a very singular postal service. This consists of a barrel, where sailors in the past would drop their mail so that homebound ships would stop there and take along letters to be hand-delivered upon return to their home countries. So, our very first landing in Floreana today was at Post Office Bay, and many of our guests were more than happy to continue with this tradition!
After this short but fun visit, we came back on board the National Geographic Islander for breakfast. Then, more activities were to follow, starting with a marvelous Zodiac ride along a satellite island off the coast of Floreana, called Champion islet. This is the home to one of the most rare and endangered species in the world, the Floreana mockingbird. Only about 150 individuals survive in this outcrop. The rest of the population became extinct on the big island of Floreana due to predation by introduced mammals in the last couple of centuries.
But the most incredible part of the morning was the snorkeling, as Champion is also the home to a colony of Galápagos sea lions. At least a dozen young pups came to us, following and twisting in the water, apparently happy enjoying our presence just as much as we enjoyed theirs! Sorry to leave this true paradise, where humans and animals get along in harmony, we had to come back on board as the NG Islander had to change anchorage to Punta Cormorant.
In the afternoon, some of our guests enjoyed the scenery while doing some kayaking, while others decided to have fun at the solitary and beautiful olivine beach of Punta Cormorant. As the sun started going down, it was time to explore this area. Everyone was so keen on looking for the Greater flamingos feeding at the brackish lagoon behind the beach. These beautiful creatures really looked like blobs of colour in this arid zone. We were so fortunate to have them close by the trail, with natural surroundings glowing in the afternoon sun.
At the end of the trail, another paradisiac beach awaited for us: the flour beach. This white sandy beach has been chosen by the Pacific green sea turtles to be one of their favorite nesting beaches, and although the season is over, we could easily find traces of their nests all along. In the air, several magnificent frigates patrolled the beach hoping for an emerging turtle hatchling, something that, to our relief, we didn’t have to witness.
Upon returning on board, we all watched the sun slowly coming down below the horizon, keen on the new adventures of tomorrow but perhaps sharing the feeling that our time in this small Eden is just too short.
Floreana, also named Charles or Santa Maria Island, is one of the most beautiful islands of this lost archipelago. With its hilly profile, it is composed of a dry and a humid zone. Besides its wonderful natural history, Floreana has some incredible human history, being the first island to be inhabited. Many of its past visitors were attracted by its permanent (although difficult to find) fresh water spring, but also by a very singular postal service. This consists of a barrel, where sailors in the past would drop their mail so that homebound ships would stop there and take along letters to be hand-delivered upon return to their home countries. So, our very first landing in Floreana today was at Post Office Bay, and many of our guests were more than happy to continue with this tradition!
After this short but fun visit, we came back on board the National Geographic Islander for breakfast. Then, more activities were to follow, starting with a marvelous Zodiac ride along a satellite island off the coast of Floreana, called Champion islet. This is the home to one of the most rare and endangered species in the world, the Floreana mockingbird. Only about 150 individuals survive in this outcrop. The rest of the population became extinct on the big island of Floreana due to predation by introduced mammals in the last couple of centuries.
But the most incredible part of the morning was the snorkeling, as Champion is also the home to a colony of Galápagos sea lions. At least a dozen young pups came to us, following and twisting in the water, apparently happy enjoying our presence just as much as we enjoyed theirs! Sorry to leave this true paradise, where humans and animals get along in harmony, we had to come back on board as the NG Islander had to change anchorage to Punta Cormorant.
In the afternoon, some of our guests enjoyed the scenery while doing some kayaking, while others decided to have fun at the solitary and beautiful olivine beach of Punta Cormorant. As the sun started going down, it was time to explore this area. Everyone was so keen on looking for the Greater flamingos feeding at the brackish lagoon behind the beach. These beautiful creatures really looked like blobs of colour in this arid zone. We were so fortunate to have them close by the trail, with natural surroundings glowing in the afternoon sun.
At the end of the trail, another paradisiac beach awaited for us: the flour beach. This white sandy beach has been chosen by the Pacific green sea turtles to be one of their favorite nesting beaches, and although the season is over, we could easily find traces of their nests all along. In the air, several magnificent frigates patrolled the beach hoping for an emerging turtle hatchling, something that, to our relief, we didn’t have to witness.
Upon returning on board, we all watched the sun slowly coming down below the horizon, keen on the new adventures of tomorrow but perhaps sharing the feeling that our time in this small Eden is just too short.
