Floreana Island
The first sighting we had today in the morning was that of turtles mating. It was 06:30 in the morning and they seem to have been working hard already. It made us think about the day we had coming. Floreana, being one of the oldest islands of the Galápagos archipelago, is also one with outstanding natural history and human history as well. By 07:00 we were at Post Office Bay, reading the addresses written on the postcards left by visitors that were there before us. It was a nice moment of camaraderie and lots of photos were taken of each one.
Later on, our visit to Champion Islet was successful when we found as many as three Charles mockingbirds. The stars of the show however were not the mockingbirds but the red billed tropic birds. We had photographic shots of them from any imaginable angle. Soon after the completion of our Zodiac expedition, we set ourselves in a “wet mode” and, being so, we went snorkeling. Although it was a little choppy, we have learned how to take advantage of such minor situations to maximize our adventures.
After a well deserved lunch and siesta, we went again into action, this time on the kayaks along the shoreline of Punta Cormorant. This area is placid, and with the presence of several turtles and even penguins the experience was delightful… and a little strenuous!
Once on land we were comforted by the presence of some twenty flamingos. There were four baby flamingos that are proving to be of a good breed, since they have survived up to this day and apparently they will make it all through the way.
The green beach of olivine felt soft under our feet, however once we reach the so-called “flour” beach everybody was astonished. How come this could be so soft! Is this sand natural? Well, tens of thousands of years can manage to smooth down even the hardest rock! Ten minutes on this island were enough to soften our hearts.
The day finished with a great gratification for all of us, the blessing of being in an incredible and pristine part of the planet, knowing that from now on we are part of that group of people responsible for protecting it.
